Wearing The Inside Out
by Mysterious Loser
Summary: -Persona 2- There's more to the man behind the red, designer glasses. If one were to take a closer look, they'd see his whole world as an open book. -An in-depth novelization of Persona 2 from Katsuya Suou's point of view. Spoilers ahoy.-
1. The Shrine is Burning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Persona 2 or Pink Floyd's "Wearing the Inside Out"

**A/N:** Since this is just the prologue and it's so short, I saved the longer A/N for the first chapter. But this was an experimental story from a long time ago. I tried to revise it as best I could, but I'm sure it's probably chock full of errors. Please, give it a shot and tell me what you think.

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Prologue**

**The Shrine is Burning**

**\/\/\/**

_From Morning To Night_

_I Stayed Out Of Sight_

_Didn't Recognize I'd Become_

_No More Than Alive_

_I'd Barely Survive_

_In A Word…_

_Overrun…_

_Won't Hear A Sound_

_From My Mouth_

_I've Spent Too Long_

_On The Inside Out…_

…

…

…

…

I thought my lungs would burst from all of the running. A bead of sweat trailed down my neck, and I didn't even try to hold in my gasping breaths. Clenching my fists, I tore down the street and skid around the corner. My eyes darted back and forth across the street, and I caught the plume of smoke coming from the northern end, near the base of Mt. Iwato.

"Tatsuya!" I screamed, my voice raspy and dry.

My body wouldn't move any further. I could feel my knees locking together and, with a rheumatic step, I toppled over.

I cursed.

Back then I didn't curse at all, out of respect for my family.

But I didn't care about that anymore.

"Tatsuya!" I staggered to my feet and took off running again, despite the harsh protests coming from my body.

I rounded the gates behind Seven Sisters and felt the heat graze my body. Magnificent colors of orange, yellow, and red swirled in the sky, and then were drowned out by the black smoke coming from the burning shrine.

Araya…It was on fire…

"K…Katsuya…"

My astonishment would have to wait. I didn't even have the time to take in my surroundings and understand what was going on. Whirling around on my heel, horror overwhelmed me at the sight of my seven year old brother, bloody and wounded. He sluggishly moved toward me, arms hugging his body. Leaping forward, I caught him before he could fall to the ground. I could smell the blood all over him.

"Tatsuya!" Fretfully, I shook him. "Tatsuya! Are you all right?"

He murmured something I couldn't quite understand, his face buried in my chest. Something wet ran between my fingers and I lifted my hand from his back.

Blood. Blood everywhere.

I shuddered.

"Maya…" my ears perked up at the sound of a name. I pulled my eyes from my bloodied hand and let them fall to the top of my brother's head. "Maya's dead."

"Maya?" I echoed, blinking. "Who's Maya?"

"In the shrine!" he sobbed, clutching my shirt.

Hesitantly, I turned my head in the direction of the burning shrine. It was illuminated in flames, the sound of crackling wood reverberating in my ears. My glasses fogged and my eyes were stinging from the smoke. It wouldn't be long until the fire department arrived.

But the one he spoke of…

Tatsuya was only a child. Perhaps he was mistaken. If someone else was in the shrine, then I _had_ to help them. Looking back to my brother, I slid my hands from his bloodied back to his shoulders. He wouldn't look at me.

"Stay right here, Tatsuya," I commanded. "I'll be right back."

His head jerked up, eyes swollen and his cheeks tearstained. I knew he was going to protest. I left him before he could.

Jogging toward where the door would have been, I began to yell out to whoever could still be inside. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted longer, waiting for any kind of response. Standing still, I peered through the flames more carefully, anticipating any kind of movement from within. My heart was beating fiercely.

I could hear my brother crying behind me.

"Hello!" I tried again. "Is anyone still in there!"

Silence.

Maybe the person really _was_ dead.

Or maybe they had escaped.

What if my brother had made "Maya" up? He was young. Invisible friends weren't out of his age range yet.

_No…my brother's not like that. He doesn't make stuff up._

I took a step closer to the burning shrine, feeling the unbearable heat getting worse. I was blinking tears back from the smoke, and rubbing at my face profusely. Aside from my brother's whimpering and the roaring of the flames, there was no sound to be heard.

_What about the perpetrator? **He's** got to be here! How else could my brother be injured and the shrine burning? Something's not right…_

The very thought of my brother's wound sent me spinning around and making sure that he was still all right. He was hunched over on the ground, hugging himself tightly. I breathed a sigh of relief, even though he was still coated in blood.

There was the sound of a moving board behind me.

Whirling back to the burning shrine, I held my breath.

Within the flames I could see a thin figure moving. A face emerged and a head full of dark hair.

"Maya?" I dared to whisper. "Or a ghost?"

My muscles stiffened, but I wanted to reach out and pull whoever it was in the flames out into safety.

I saw those eyes.

They were big and sad. Something about those eyes.

"Get out of the fire!" I cried, darting to where the flames began and my net of safety ended. "Come on! Take my hand!"

But the figure did not stir or acknowledge my presence. Instead, those eyes trailed past me, where Tatsuya wept. Then the face disappeared within the flames, and the front door collapsed.

"Wait!" I jumped back away from the burning wreckage. "Maya!"

…She…was gone…

\/\/\/

"Sergeant Suou!"

At the violent screech that was the Captain's voice, I was flung from my swivel chair in an absolute startle and tumbled to the ground, documents raining down on me and books crashing from their stacks next to my desk. The heavy pounding on the door paused momentarily at the sound of the disturbance, and then resumed, the rapid rhythm of knocking intensifying.

"Sergeant Suou! What are you doing? Open the door, _now!_"

I rubbed my eyes, hoping to stop the spinning in my head, and pushed myself back off the floor with my hands, using my desk as support.

"Coming," I said, groggily, twirling sloppily in a full circle as I tripped over my own feet, and crashed against the glass that lined my door. I could barely make out my name in black, bold letters on the outside. Shaking my head one final time, I found the doorknob, turned it, and pulled open.

I almost grimaced when I saw an incensed Captain Shimazu standing there, his arms crossed and his foot tapping with worn patience. Judging from the look on his face, I could tell he was none too pleased with having to wait. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think of something to say.

He spoke before I could, "Do you know how _long_ I've been knocking on that door! What'd you do, fall _asleep_ in your chair?" He laughed because he knew that an action such as that was very unlike me. He stopped when he saw my expression and realized that it was true. His eyebrows furrowed and he sobered up quickly, "But nonetheless, it's no time to doze off, Suou. There's been an accident at Seven Sisters and I want you and Ikeda from the Main Branch to check it out. I sent him out to the car already; he's waiting for you."

I wasn't given enough reaction time to comment before Shimazu turned heel and headed back down the hall as quickly as he had come. I shook my head and glanced back in my room, now littered with important documents and thick law books.

My mouth twitched at its ends.

When had I had the chance to sleep? And that dream, what did it mean? _It seemed so real. But…Araya never burned down…_

I shook my head and grabbed my dark gray coat. It was a ludicrous thought. That girl in the fire…

Perhaps Tatsuya knew her.

"That's silly," I pushed the thought from my mind. "Dreams like that happen all the time. And besides…he probably won't be home for me to ask—he never is."

I threw on my coat and stuck my revolver in its holster located at my side, hanging loosely. I shut the door behind me, and walked brusquely in the opposite direction that Captain Shimazu had.

Ikeda was waiting for me in the black Honda out back, honking the horn to signify that he was tired of waiting for me.

\/\/\/

Uh…yeah…so, how is it so far? I'm not really comfortable with this kind of writing style, so please forgive me. See you at chapter one.

ML


	2. Persona, Persona

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Persona 2 or Pink Floyd's song, "Wearing the Inside Out."

**A/N: **This is a story written about nine years ago that I brought back out and polished up. It's basically a novelization of Persona 2, all from Katsuya's point of view. It's also in first person POV. Novelizations and first person POV are NOT my favorite writing aspects, so please bear with me and tell me how I did. I also DID try to incorporate some other things other than just the storyline so that it's not all predictable and stuff.

**So I'm writing** my stories in **order of importance.** If you want to see more of **this story,** please review and tell me so, or vote in the poll on my author's page. Thanks much!

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Chapter One**

**Persona, Persona, Call Out Your Persona**

**\/\/\/**

"So, Anna Yoshizaka started to behave like a delinquent after the hit-and-run by Kaneda?" Officer Ikeda crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes failing to belie the hint of arrogance in them. He was slightly shorter than I, yet had years of experience ahead of me. Even the creases spread evenly along his face could show that.

The teacher could evidently see beyond his façade. "I didn't say that! Stop putting words into my mouth! Anna is _not_ the kind of person who could kill someone!" The blue haired teacher lit up into excessive anger. I glanced at Ikeda out of the corner of my eye, uncomfortable with the situation. If we upset the teachers, our chances of extracting any real evidence would be unnecessarily difficult.

So I decided to step in.

"Miss, please calm down. We do not suspect that that student is capable of these crimes." I felt the urge to hastily add, "No normal person could have done something like that…"

My colleague was at a disagreement. Ikeda turned sharply, his eyes catching mine at a rather odd angle.

"Sergeant Suou," he began, his words curt and short. "Please, I can do _without_ the commentary on the situation."

I tensed at his demanding attitude and hesitated before stepping backwards, somewhat embarrassed.

Officer Ikeda, himself, had not been briefed very much on the issue at hand, but he was a man who liked to believe that he knew what was going on. That didn't mean that I didn't respect him as an officer—I respected all of my colleagues—but it made him that much more challenging to work with as a temporary partner. Despite his experience over mine, I still wished that he didn't have to show it through shrewd actions.

I had only worked with him a few times before, but once had always been enough. However, in the line of duty, it was not in one's best interest to strike petty differences with another. At least, this was my philosophy. But even personal values can change from time to time.

On the ride over to Seven Sisters, I had begun the conversation by quickly briefing Officer Ikeda of the situation at hand. After his eyes shot dangerous daggers in my direction, I realized that, somehow, my statement had offended his intelligence. In whatever way that was, the rest of the ride was spent in silence. I suppose that it was true, then; he was the kind of officer who liked to believe he knew it all.

My ears perked up as the scuffling of the door opened, followed by light footsteps into the room. Then the door was slid shut behind them.

"Look, there's Ms. Smith!" came a loud, excited whisper.

"Shhhh…" was another voice.

I did not bother to glance over at the newcomers. Ikeda decided he had acquired all the information he needed.

Without asking for my approval, he concluded, "I guess that will do for now." He turned to leave. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Smith."

I watched him walk confidently out of the classroom. _Jerk._ I hadn't expected him to wait for me, anyway.

Saeko Smith turned to face me.

"You're Tatsuya Suou's brother, right?" I wasn't surprised that she knew me or my brother. She was Tatsuya's teacher and I had once attended Seven Sisters myself. However, it was the first time that she had acknowledged my brother since Ikeda and I had been questioning her. "Has he come back home?"

I frowned, dreading such a question. "…No, he hasn't." My eyes left hers, wandering in reverse back to the silhouette of my brother's image in my mind. "What the heck does he think he's doing?" I asked to no one in particular. My voice was barely above audibility and she asked me to repeat what I had said. Shaking my head, I instead told her, "I'm sorry he's worrying you, too." The thought of my brother tired me. I had been doing too much thinking on his presence as of recently, anyway. Besides, now was not the time to be worried about family affairs. "Please excuse me, but I must be going."

She looked as though she had intended to say more, but I cut her off by bidding farewell and quickly headed for the door.

_Tatsuya, you fool. Can't you see what your recklessness does to others? _As I passed, I caught glimpse of a woman with red hair in a dark green dress and her dark haired companion dressed in a brown and white two piece skirt and designer jacket.

I took a moment before passing to study her. _She looks familiar, somehow…_ The longer I stayed, the more I felt convinced that this woman was an acquaintance from somewhere. Her face—her eyes—they told a story, though good or bad was beyond me. _I wonder…does Tatsuya know a woman like her? Could that be where I know her from?_

I hadn't even heard what she had said until she tapped my arm, brows furrowed at her forehead.

"Excuse me sir, is something the matter?"

My thoughts were shattered and I tumbled back to reality. I shook my head. _Idiot… _Without answering her question, I continued out of the room.

"Weird guy…" I heard the woman with red hair remark as I walked down the hall.

Officer Ikeda waited for me near the stairwell, leaning against a wall in his normal arm crossed stance. I didn't bother to stop for him and sustained my pace down the steps. He followed after me, slightly cutting me off from behind. _Geez, what a pushy guy!_

"Shimazu called me back to the station for something else," he explained. "But he wants you to keep questioning the students. I'll come by to pick you up after I finish with my duties." Towards the end, his attitude became somewhat testy, as though he were going out of his way to see to my needs. I wouldn't have it.

"Don't bother," I waved him off. "I'll just take the bus back to the station. I don't want you to feel rushed with whatever the Captain wants you to do."

He nodded, unsurprisingly, not insisting to argue on the matter. Then he walked on ahead. _I wouldn't want to interfere with whatever it is you have to do. _It was unlike me to think such bitter thoughts, I realized. I suppose that it was due to a lack of sleep. I was often testy when groggy.

I stopped in my tracks and watched him until he disappeared outside the door. For a moment, my mind had been taken off the reason why I had come to the school in the first place. All I could focus on was the dream I had earlier. The rising flames, the burning shrine, Tatsuya's blood on my uniform as he clung to me for dear life. And then he muttered that "she" had died. _"Who?" I asked. "…Maya…" he answered._

I leaned against the wall and shoved my hands into my pockets, thoughts fading into space. Closing my eyes, I pictured the girl I had seen in the Faculty Room in my mind. I stared only at the face. Then, in that dream when I had seen the girl and Tatsuya rushing down the street…

_I'm thinking too hard about this. That dream really set me back. But it's only a dream._

I forced my eyes open. That girl I saw from the shrine…what's the connection? I certainly was acting strange back in the Faculty Room.

"Get a hold of yourself, Katsuya. It was only a dream. That girl in the Faculty Room meant nothing." It sounded convincing enough.

Maybe.  
Remembering what my purpose was, I turned heel and padded back up the stairs and the stairs next to that, then down the hall.

The girl, Anna Yoshizaka, had homeroom in B-3. I exhaled and straightened my back. _There's still work to be done. Stop daydreaming and do it! _Putting on my professional look, I opened the door and walked inside.

The students were clearly shocked and began to whisper amongst themselves when they saw me. Seeing them made me feel just as uncomfortable. _Why does everyone become that way when they see the police?_ I turned my head, gazing along the long, thin rows of desks that housed some students while others were vacant. _I see. This won't be easy, then. _I wasn't sure where to start or who would talk to me. It was easier when the teachers were around. But kids were much more difficult. _I would know. One lives under my roof as we speak…sort of. _

"Hello, students," I started slowly, sounding friendly. "I'm here on an investigation. No one is in trouble, but I would like some cooperation. Is there anyone here who can help me?"

No one stirred in their seats. _Don't all be in a rush to come up here, now._ I bit down on my bottom lip, chewing on the prospect of negotiation. _If only Ikeda hadn't left! How inconsiderate of him!_ One student, however, was not concerned with my presence. I smiled and he got up from his desk to walk towards me.

"Excuse me sir," I said, shaking his hand, and introduced myself courteously, "I'm Sergeant Suou of Konan's Police Department. I would like to ask you a couple of questions regarding the incident involving Anna Yoshizaka and her hit-and-run driver that has been recently murdered. Could you please tell me what kind of person Anna was?"

He paused before speaking, as though the answer was going to be a difficult one. Scratching his unshaven chin, he said in a deep, raspy voice, "Anna might look like a punk on the outside, but she's not like that at all." Then he shook his head. "If it wasn't for that accident…"

He was cut off as two women entered the room. I looked up along with him, watching as the duo moved around the desks. The students seemed much more pleased to see them rather than me.

As they neared, my lips twitched. It was the girl from the Faculty Room, along with her friend. They wandered around, interviewing different students. I turned my gaze back to the young man.

"…I see…I got it. Thank you…" I changed the subject as I realized that this was my brother's study hall. "By the way, is there a Tatsuya here? What has his activity been lately?"

"Eh? Tatsuya?" the student seemed puzzled and then it came to him as he gave a disgusted glare. "…What did he do this time?"

That wasn't the response I was looking for.

"'This time!'" What did he mean by _that!_ He jumped back at my reaction, nearly colliding into a desk. All of the other students in the room, including the two women, paused to stare at me. Before I frightened off my _only_ willing-to-be contributor, I forced myself to calm down. "…Uh, well, he hasn't done anything, but…" I sighed. "…I see…"

I felt as though this had been a complete waste of time and I trudged miserably out the door—but not before glancing up once more to steal a gaze at the two girls who had entered the room just moments before. _Where have I seen her before?_

Shaking off my thoughts, I continued out the door to question other students in the remaining open classrooms. Most of them told me the same thing: 'Anna's not like that. She's not capable of killing.' I decided to take matters into my own hands and question the last person in the school.

Turning the corner at the top floor, I realized that the Principal's door was already open. I shrugged and headed in.

"Excuse me sir," I began immediately as I charged into his room, "I want to ask you…" I paused, realizing that I was not alone. The same two women from the Faculty Room were kneeling beside, what looked like, a half-eaten man on the ground. Both emitted an equal paleness, trembling at the sight, and their anxiety only intensified as they saw me walk in. _…Well that certainly puts a damper on the situation._

I rushed forward, past one of the women, and bounded to the dead man's side, careful not to hit the assorted furniture in the room. "Th, this is!" Kneeling by the body, I observed the man carefully. "The note he's holding…" I spoke softly to myself, "That pattern of killing…It's him!" I turned to look at my company, and though I knew who they were, I couldn't help but treat them as mere witnesses.

Out of habit, I viciously began to throw out questions right and left to them. "Are you the first one on-scene? Did you see anyone suspicious? Anything suspicious when you got here? When did you get here?"

The girl with red hair held her head in both hands and snapped back, "I…I don't know! Stop asking me things all at once!" Our eyes immediately turned to look in the direction in which sudden footsteps came from. I recognized the figure as the same girl who was the supposed suspect in the murder of the hit-and-run man—Anna Yoshizaka. The woman with red hair pointed a shaky finger at the girl, horrified. "Y…You're…You don't think…!"

"Anna!" the woman with black hair exclaimed.

Undoubtedly, Anna knew what the three of us were thinking. "I, It's not me…" She pleaded, legs trembling, and she struggled to keep herself balanced. Even though it seemed she had a natural hard look about her, she was quite shaken at this point in time. Even her cheeks were flustered and her eyes darted back and forth between us, panicked. "I didn't do anything…!" she cried and hurried out of the room. I could hear the echo of her footsteps disappear down the hall.

"You!" I shouted, pointing to where she had once stood. "Wait!"

Jumping to my feet, I ran out of the room to follow the girl.

"I'm going with him," I heard the dark hair woman tell her friend. She rushed after me.

"H, Hey…Ma-ya! Why are you leaving me-!"

I paid no attention to either woman as I continued to charge down the hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of the suspect. There was nowhere in the school that she could hide, however, if she was let outside it possibly could be hard to catch up to her again. _But…she seemed so sincere when she said that she wasn't responsible. Even so, I must find out what she knows!_

I was stopped short as something barricaded me from around the corner. It was something that I had never seen before, neither human nor animal. No…it _couldn't_ be an animal! But I had never seen a creature with such a monstrous body structure! Horns protruding from both sides of the head, fangs longer than my fingers coated in blood, and eyes like fire.

…What was this?

I was knocked off guard as the beast released an earsplitting howl—one that shook the whole hallway. I instantly patted my side, searching for my revolver until I found it and withdrew it, barrel aimed at the creature. The raven haired woman was not far behind me and her companion with red hair fled in, nearly colliding into her friend.

"Wha…What's that…?" I could hear small gaping noises escape from the redhead's mouth, but my eyes were kept on the beast. "Wha…What the heck's going on!" she screamed.

"Can't you tell?" an eerie voice sang out from behind me, "It's a demon—a _demon_."

My bones chilled as a feeling overcame me and I spun around on one foot, everyone following my gaze. A man in a dark trench coat strolled up to us, a sword in one hand and the other behind a paper bag that had been used as a mask to cover his head. I pushed past the girls until I was in front of them, and held my gun to my shoulder on standby.

"A, A demon…?" I stammered, though I tried hard not to let my fear overcome me. "Who the heck are you! And…" My face lowered as a sudden aura of pain washed over my body. _Where had that come from?_ "What's this feeling…?"

The man ignored my question and peered straight at the woman behind me.

"You got the letter, right?" he asked the dark haired woman, his voice casual and nonchalant. "It's me…" The word rolled over his tongue as though he enjoyed playing with it, "…Joker."

"W-What!" the woman was taken aback.

"I took a request," he explained, throwing the sword over his shoulder. "So I'm here to kill you. That's what the rumors say."  
The redhead next to me looked over to her friend, her face plastered in disbelief. "Wha…!"

"Maya Amano…" Joker continued, "I know you so ve—ry well…" He leaned in closer. What his expression was behind that paper bag, I'll never know, "What you even did on the 'Other Side.'"

I turned to look at her. _Her name is Maya, too?_

"The…'Other Side'…?" the woman known as Maya repeated, stoned with fear.

Another demon appeared in front of us that almost tripled my size both in height and weight. He was a disgusting creature with fangs that overlapped his large lips like a walrus. Horns curled at the end of his head, lined by sharply jagged ears. Though his body mass far outmatched mine, he somehow managed to hover in the air with his small red wings, flapping back and forth at an even pace. The demon was in no hurry, and his beady, black eyes told me so. His hefty stomach rumbled against his corpulent body and the large sickle he was carrying was instantly pointed at Maya.

"Try and call your precious 'Persona!' If ya don't, these guys'll eat ya!" The Joker reached into his coat and withdrew a pair of firearms before tossing them out to us like candy. "Use these guns. You _can_ use one, can't you? Bang-bang! With both hands."

_What? Why would he be trying to __**help**__ us with those? Does he have something else in mind? _I had enough of his babbling. Pulling out from standby, I aimed the gun at his torso.

"Criminal Suspect #501! You're under arrest for illegal firearm possession and threatening a peace officer!"

Joker merely laughed and his demon drifted in front of me, growling threateningly.

"'Persona, Persona!' Call out your Persona!" Joker mocked. I didn't fail to notice his second mentioning of 'Persona.'

I had no time to think before the demon overpowered me, thrusting his sickle into my chest. He held me there for a moment, my eyes wide and my legs buckling out from underneath me. I could feel my heartbeat pulsing overpoweringly in my shattered body, as though it were screaming out for me to fix whatever it was that had just happened. I could take the pain no longer and, as the demon removed the blade from my body, I collapsed to my knees. Behind me, the girls screeched as they watched blood begin to visibly appear through my jacket. I could do nothing but stare at the demon in horror. Even my mind had trouble comprehending the ongoing actions or the fact that I was dying. It was almost impossible to bear. Just as soon as I was certain my heart would finally give away, it exploded and something pushed its way through my body, forcefully.

"What is…this _feeling?_" A blue light formed around the hallway as another soul emerged from within me. It took on the form of a black cat, dressed in a dark suit.

"I am Helios…" he bellowed, the voice echoing in the vicinity, "Bearing the ancient sun, I am the one who violates the night! I shall become your loyal chariot!" I was amazed as the soul above me lunged forward, setting the demon aflame.

Much to my surprise, the demon shook off its injuries and then hovered over to the red headed woman, sickle held high above his head, as though the one named "Helios" had not injured him at all. She waved her hands frantically in front of her face, not knowing what else to do. Mercilessly, the demon rotated the sickle in a crescent shape, slashing the woman in her side before she tumbled to the floor.

"Kya—!" she cried, the blue light in the room strengthening. "I can't take it anymore!" Much to my surprise, the same power that had embraced me was flowing within her, and a soul emerged from her own body. It took on the appearance of a woman in a red and white torn dress with a mask on her face and a shoe smashed into it.

"I am Callisto," the voice, soft and cool, began, "the one known as the most beautiful of the nymphs. One who is weary of romance, I will show you true love." Holding an arm high, I watched a glitter come from above. Flinching at what I saw, rocks rained down from the sky and smashed the demon. The demon staggered back, dazedly. As quickly as the rocks had come, they vanished into the light. However, the school floor had received massive indentation that remained for all to see.

The Joker pointed a hard, unforgiving finger at the last intact person in our party. As though compelled to by the bag-man, Maya collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest.

"Please…no…" she whispered.

The blue light was at its peak when a spirit emerged from within her body, the color clinging to the walls with blinding luminosity. This soul was another woman in a pink dress-like outfit, and her eyes were hidden by an encompassing metal bar. Her somewhat long and coiled hair moved gently alongside her hovering body. The woman outstretched her arms as if to protect Maya.

"I am thou…Thou art I…I cometh from the sea of thy heart…I am the brilliant mother, Maia…"

Maia waved her hands and an orange beam magnetically drew in the demon. The demon panicked, frantically glancing around, but became lost to oblivion. Now without a demon to do his bidding for him, the Joker stepped towards us, laughing hysterically at the situation.

"That's it, keep it up!" I was still surprised that he knew we harbored such powers, but it was evident that his work was not yet over. Reducing his laughter to a mild chuckle, he continued, "But I'm not gonna kill you now…I'll have the demons kill you _slowly._" Outstretching his arm, his body mimicked the same blue light as our own. But what appeared above him was most certainly not as merciful and forgiving as ours had been. A strange monster emerged and Joker expressed more amusement, as though we were his toys and successfully entertaining him. "Remember! You can't run from fate!"

With a flick of his wrist, the demon obediently summoned an attack to finish us off. My eyes absorbed the image of a growing light, ironically enveloped in darkness above us. It spiraled heavenward until it finally exploded with us in it. I couldn't catch much of the heat upon impact; it was as though my body had been destroyed immediately. _If that's so, then this is a good way to go. But… _Strangely, I shivered. _…Tatsuya…_

\/\/\/

So I'm a little shaky writing this. The chapter is actually much longer, but I'd rather know how I'm doing first, than later on (and then realize that I butchered Persona 2 entirely). So please let me know what you think and what I could do better (But please don't flame me.)

ML


	3. A Different Turn of Events

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Persona.

**A/N:** Thanks to my readers and first reviewer, YunaKitty. I'm happy to know that I'm doing all right, and I'll continue to do my best, as well.

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Chapter Two**

**A Different Turn of Events**

**\/\/\/**

I felt myself falling—falling through time and space. Everywhere I looked was a swirling torrent of neon colors, though none of them meant a thing. Downwards, like a corkscrew, I was pushed along, the destination unknown. Then I saw something…no…_someone_. A boy…A boy in a Seven Sisters Uniform. When he turned, I recognized his eyes, his brown locks escaping into his hard-ironed face.

It was my brother.

"Tatsuya!" I shouted, but my voice was gone. It was as though it had vanished in the attack.

The tunnel came to an end, breaking apart into a large dark void with a glittered, gold platform down below. _What's a chamber like that doing in space?_ There wasn't much time to contemplate the issue before I was hurled brutally to the ground, just outside the edifice which, oddly, resembled a gazebo. I stayed that way a while longer, enjoying the recovery of my senses and the dusting off of my disappearing dizziness, before looking up and over to the woman next to me.

Maya had become conscious, and shook her head for a moment as she stood, shakily. The red haired woman next to her did the same and Maya offered a hand to help her to her feet. I followed their lead, though I was more curious to know my environment. I barely caught sound of the redhead as she began to speak.

"So," there was a hint of dread in her voice, "we're dead?" Maya gave her no answer. "What the heck was my life all about…?"

Her self-anguish was interrupted by a soft fluttering inside of the golden structure. We all looked to the center, where a butterfly was hovering in midair, though its wings were flapping at a slow and almost dead beat. _Was it dying?_ Before I could comment on the dazzling creature, it flared up into light, blinding myself so that I had to shield my eyes with the underside of my arm, and a holograph of a man appeared in place of the butterfly.

He was in a black turtleneck shirt with dark linen pants and shoes. Though his brown hair, which was tied neatly into a ponytail, had manifested itself, a butterfly mask kept his face hidden, as though some wretched form lay underneath.

"That is not true…" he whispered, his voice weakened and almost incoherent, "I…invited…you…" He bowed slightly, "My name…is Philemon…I exist between consciousness and death…" Then he added, "The one…who has granted you…the Personas….."

Personas…just like…

"#501 said the same thing…" I spoke my thoughts aloud. I stared strongly at Philemon. "I ask this as though I am in a dream." I paused a moment for dramatic effect, "'What _is_ a _Persona?_'"

"Your powers…" he explained, "…are hidden deep within your heart…Like a god or a devil, it is 'another self'…" He stopped, as though even talking was draining the remainder of his strength. "Like a god…filled with love…Like a demon…merciless…" Philemon shook his head. "Humans…go through life with many faces…Your current appearance is just another face…And so is your Persona…One of many…"

"Another you," I said to myself as soon as he was finished speaking, "with physical conflict…Like our original forms?" I looked back to him and asked, "What is your purpose in giving us these?"

"Th…They've actually formed a conversation…" I heard the redhead whisper to Maya.

"I…have something…to ask of…you." He struggled to speak, but ignored my question, "…I…underestimated…the…Their…string of misfortune was too…deep. They…made…tears of blood…'This Side'…Only you…can save…" His words became fragmented and I realized that he was no longer making any sense.

"What's wrong?" I shook my head, "I can't understand you."

His time was up, I saw. The vicinity was overtaken by a brilliant light as Philemon's human form rendered back into a butterfly.

"Warning…rumors will become reality," his voice echoed throughout the room, "…Light…within hearts…of people…" He was cut off and the room disappeared.

\/\/\/

I opened my eyes.

Colors furiously worked to blend themselves together and become actual forms. The image teetered and I worked to sit up in order to fix it. _This is getting old…_ When everything was back in focus and all became silent, I took the time to drink in my surroundings.

I was back in the hallway.

Quickly remembering my wound, I worked at unbuttoning my jacket and running my fingers along the maroon fabric of my thinner shirt, meticulously checking for any traces of blood.

…There were none.

With a sigh of relief, I buttoned up my jacket and looked over at Maya, who was laying limply on the floor, her head turned away from me and her arm cast off loosely to the side.

"Are you…all right…?" I asked her, wondering if she could hear me.

I caught the glimpse of a moving figure from out of the corner of my eye. Turning my gaze, I realized that it was the redheaded woman; she was straining to put herself into somewhat of a sitting position. I looked back to the unconscious woman. My lips pursed and my brows knitted together. I waited for another minute with no response. _Come on, wake up…_

I felt myself relax as she rolled over onto her side, eyes fluttering open. She looked up to the ceiling.

"Well, it seems we're all 'alive'…" the redheaded woman stood up and brushed herself off. She bent down to help Maya to her feet and after I was certain that the two were in better condition than I, I forced myself to stand.

"Yeah," Maya agreed, "for now."

I reached into my pocket and withdrew my cell phone. _My colleagues must be informed about this…_ Turning my back to the girls, I dialed the number to the Konan Police Station. I covered my other ear to listen for the dial tone.

"It's Suou," I said immediately as soon as someone answered. "Get me Captain Shimazu…" I waited for the phone to be passed along to the Captain.

_"I'm busy, Suou,"_ his raspy voice came over the receiver end. _"This had better be good."_

I ignored his bitter "hello" and fled immediately into action. "…#501 was at Seven Sisters," I explained. "The suspect has killed the principal and is at large."

Shimazu was silent for the moment, but then responded, _"One minute, Suou." _He put me on hold, much to my distress, but now was not the time to panic. I listened to the girls talk behind me while I waited.

"You okay, Ma-ya?" the redhead asked.

Maya disregarded her question and reversed it instead, "_You_ okay, Ulala?"

"Yeah, just a little shaken, that's all."

_"Suou,"_ Shimazu's voice came back onto the phone and I turned my attention back to him. _"Stay where you are, understand? Backup will be there in a few minutes."_ Then the phone clicked and I caught the sound of the dial tone.

After a moment of listening to it, I put the cell phone away and turned back to the two women.

"Backup is on its way," I assured them. "I'll go after that girl, you two stay…" I paused. _If I leave them alone, it's possible that Joker could come back…or worse._ Besides…temptation caught the best of me. I truly wanted to know who "Maya" was. After the big deal that the Joker had made about her, she could become the _key_ to this whole thing, "…with me…" I crossed my arms, "You're also in danger."

"Why her?" Ulala asked, my obvious interest in Anna Yoshizaka befuddling her. "The suspect is that 'bag head.'"

"If it's just like he said," I explained, "it's a contract killing. I can't exclude her possible involvement."

"Well, she _did_ say that she would kill him…" Ulala nodded, standing self-corrected. "Is this related to the dream? 'Rumors become reality,' is what he said…" She turned to Maya. "The Joker Rumor _is_ true, then…?"

"'It _can't_ be' is what I'd like to say, but I can't…Not after seeing all this." Pausing to gather my thoughts, I added, "I accept the fact that he borrowed our consciousness to give us clues. We have to pursue whatever he gives us."

"That's why you were so calm," Ulala muttered.

Maya looked from Ulala to me. "Then…is it a good idea to stick in one group?" Maya asked. "Maybe we should split up to find them."

I shook my head in disagreement.

"Come with me," I pleaded. "I can't leave you alone."

Ulala stiffened.

"I-I'm going too…" the redhead said forcefully, a mixture of anger and fear residing in her voice. "I'm her friend…I couldn't stand it if you left me here."

"Fine…" I said and stooped down to pick up the guns that the Joker had left us. "This is an extreme circumstance. I'll let you have the guns he left behind. Use it only to protect yourself." I held the guns out in front of me.

"I…I don't need…this. I _do_ know how to box, you know," Ulala made it like _everyone _in the world knew she could box.

I shook my head in annoyance and Maya grabbed the guns from my hands instead. In the distance, I caught the sound of footsteps against the fine polished tiles down at the other end of the hall. Looking up, Ms. Smith rounded around the corner hurriedly and stopped to catch her breath.

"What's wrong!" her voice was filled with terror. "I heard a loud commotion!"

"The principal has been murdered," I clarified. "Backup will be here soon, so don't worry. Tell the students to stay in their classrooms."

At first, the color faded from her face. I was certain she was going to pass out. When she didn't, she forced a meek, "Yes," a nod, and turned to sprint back down the stairs. I diverted my gaze to Maya.

"The suspect must still be in the school," I said, almost convinced of my assumption. "Let's look for him and fast."

"Right," Maya agreed. "What if we stopped by the entrance first? Just to find out if anyone saw anything..."

"Good idea," Ulala grinned. "That's the only way he can get out."

"Not quite," I corrected. "There's also the bike area too." Her eyes moved to mine, hands on her tiny hips as her lips curled up on one side.

"Well," the redhead began impatiently, "what are we waiting for! Let's get down there!"

\/\/\/

I followed behind Maya and Ulala down the two flights of stairs. They turned sharply, hugging the corner, and fled past the lockers. They didn't say much along the way; I wondered if they were taking precautions for any adversaries that could've been by. I, on the other hand, spent more time trying to seek out either suspect. Though the hallway was remotely small, giving us no choice but to clam up together, it made it easier to see who was coming and who was going.

Past the classrooms, windows, and assorted pictures and bulletins that hung on the wall, Maya was the first to reach the entrance. A lone teacher was standing there, trembling. Though he was larger than I, the look in his eyes was a dead giveaway that he would rather be anywhere else but here.

I looked ahead to the vacant hall branching from the one we were on. "The bike area is around the corner," I told them. "Someone needs to take a look."

Without thinking, Ulala ran ahead first. I had no time to protest against her, so I turned my gaze to the frightened teacher at the entrance.

"Excuse me, sir," I began, "Are the children inside their classrooms? Have you seen anyone suspicious come through here?"

"The students have all taken refuge inside the classrooms," he answered, trying to sound brave. In all of his good attempt to remain calm, I still caught the hint of uneasiness in his voice. "I'm guarding the exit from the culprit, but I haven't seen anyone."

"Then he's still inside," Maya mumbled.

I nodded. "That's a good sign then. But where else could he be hiding…?"

"And Anna too?"

"Yes," I adjusted my glasses, rubbing the outer lens slightly, "her too. Whether or not they are accomplices is still a concern in my mind. That's why it's essential that we find them before they escape…or someone else dies…"

"I see…" she remarked, drawing her words out long and slow.

A few minutes later, a blur of Ulala came rushing around the corner, her eyes wide and lips quivering.

"T-There's s-someone guarding the bike area," she announced, tripping over her words. "T-They haven't seen a-anybody go that way…" her voice was still shaking, even as she concluded reporting her thorough reconnaissance.

"Same here," I said, slowly, curious as to what had the redhead so worked up.

Much to my surprise, Ulala latched onto Maya's hand, trembling. "Ma-ya, there's demons everywhere! I saw one coming from the other way! Let's find that guy, and quickly! I don't like it in here!"

"Calm down, Ulala," Maya said, patting her hand. "We're Persona users, remember? We can handle those guys."

"Perhaps," I agreed halfheartedly. The idea of "Persona" still troubled me.

Ulala ignored my remark and continued talking with Maya. "That lady said we might try the Clock Tower, since that's the only other way out of here."

"Then let's go to the Clock Tower," I turned to direct them down the other end of the hall. "We'll go and ask the Janitor for the key."

The girls both nodded and we left the entrance of the school to walk back to where we had come. Ulala had complained that she didn't quite know where the Janitor's room was, so everything was left up to me. It wasn't unnatural to have my surroundings and bearings together; I often had to come to Seven Sisters when Tatsuya was in the Principal's office and bail him out of whatever it was that he had done at the time.

As for the Janitor, the poor guy had had the misfortune of losing his key to Tatsuya and his friends, who had used it to sneak onto the rooftop. I had spent hours apologizing to both the Principal and the Janitor, and then turned to fight with Tatsuya, who was nearing expulsion. Principal Harding told me that that key meant more than life itself to the Janitor. It was the only thing he had to keep to himself.

Down at the other end of Seven Sisters, I led the two girls into the Janitor's room, which was, strangely, unlocked. However, we weren't prepared for the next thing that hit us upon our arrival.

"I can't find the key to the Clock Tower!" the Janitor shouted, tearing the room apart. Tools came from one side and I had to turn my head to avoid the oncoming tea saucer, which shattered out into the hall behind me. "Where did I put it!"

The nurse in the center of the room remained calm and sipped her tea, casually.

"You always leave it on top of the desk." she said, her voice smooth.

"It's not here!" he yelled back to her, hurling his tea cup against the wall. Even the sound of porcelain cracking did not stir the woman, who went back to reading her magazine. He sighed, and reduced his voice to a whisper, "…Did someone take it?"

Our presence went unnoticed in the Janitor's room and we left as quietly as we had come.

"Great," Ulala growled as she pulled the door shut behind her. "I'll bet the Joker took the key."

"Unlikely," I told her. "It was most probably the girl. After all, why would the Joker need the key when it seems evident enough that he can move around wherever he likes without it?"

She shot a sharp glare at me. I shrugged.

"What do we do now, Sergeant?" Maya asked me, trying to ease the tension.

I pondered for a moment before I came up with a solution.

"The Faculty Room might have a spare…"

"How do you know so much about this place!" Ulala interrupted, her fists balled at her side. "I went here for my high school years and I couldn't so much as remember where the _bathrooms_ were!" _So…she's still sore from my previous comment? How immature…_

"I went here too," I announced. "It's no big deal."

I brushed past her and stepped back onto the stairwell. She may not have known it, but I was able to overhear Ulala's next comment about me.

"That guy has a real attitude problem," she whispered to Maya. "I say we ditch him and look for the Joker ourselves."

"Ulala," Maya looked back at her and whispered just as lowly, "You know we can't do that. What if something happens to him, or us? We should stick together."

I was already down the stairs when they began to follow after me.

"Oh, all right," she grumbled, none too happy with her friend's decision. "But I won't like it."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something inhuman, and realized that it was a demon wandering down at the other end of the hall. Much to my relief, it wasn't in the direction of the Faculty Room. When Maya and Ulala joined me down at the bottom of the stairs, I jolted around to meet them, bringing a finger to my lips.

"Shh!" I whispered. "There's a demon at the other end of the hall."

"Well, isn't it like what Ma-ya said?" Ulala argued. "We're Persona users, so we can take them if possible, right?"

"I'd rather not waste time," I snapped back, though I kept my voice low. "Now be quiet and perhaps it won't see us."

"Yes, Mr. President," the fiery redhead rolled her eyes.

We waited for several minutes, watching as the demon wandered by, its eyes vacillating back and forth across the hallway walls like the pendulum of a clock. I pushed Maya and Ulala further back along the edge of the stairwell, tucked into the wall's small nook, as I reached for my gun.

I breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to keep silent, yet calm at the same time. In truth, though, I hadn't the slightest inclination of what I was doing. _Where are the police! Aren't they supposed to be __**here**__ by now?_ I didn't want to curse my colleagues, but this was ridiculous. My hand that held the butt of my revolver grew unsteady, heated from sweat, but I did not move.

Then, the monster turned, as if bored with this end of the hall, and moved down towards the other end. If I remembered correctly from my previous visit regarding Tatsuya's behavior and from being here minutes ago, the Faculty Room was a mad dash down the hall in front of us. Taking no chances, I reached for Maya's hand to touch it, indicating that it was safe to move.

"Follow my lead," I whispered over my shoulder. "Move stealthily, but quickly. If we time this just right, the demon won't hear us."

There seemed to be no third party disagreement so I was first to push myself into the open, hastily moving away from the other open hallway. Maya and Ulala moved in quickly behind me, and, with success, the Faculty Room was brought to us without problem.

I allowed the girls in before myself, my eyes still drifting down the contour of the hall, but the demon was not in sight. Feeling confirmed in my decision, I joined them inside.

"I'll ask around for the key," Maya offered. Before any of us could object, she was making her way around the desks to find someone who could help us.

I stood to stare at a wall, my mind reverting back to the recent happenings. _Helios…So that's another "me," they say…Another me, oblivious to myself…How ironic that it has to be a cat…_

I turned to stare at Maya, who was talking to Mr. Souka, one of my old teachers.

_And Maya…She has the same name as the girl from my dream…but why? Is she someone I know? It can't be a coincidence that they share the same name…Oh, stop it, Suou! _I shook my head and welcomed myself back into reality. Several feet away, Maya was asking for the key.

"I got it!" Mr. Souka exclaimed, his flamboyant behavior still as persistent as ever. "This is serious! So what's wrong?"

"The Clock Tower key is missing," Maya told him, a little wary from his sudden outburst.

"Huh—? The Clock Tower key is missing from the Faculty Room? Mu—! I wonder who took it out?" He fished into his pocket and withdrew a shiny object. He extended it in Maya's direction. "Here's a spare Clock Tower Key! Please use it, as the suspect could still be around—!"

_Oh, brother…_ I rolled my eyes.

She thanked him, taking the key. When she turned away from him, I could see the relief on her face that the conversation was over. I walked over to Maya.

"Did you get another key?" I asked.

"Yup!" and she showed me.

"Great!" Ulala smiled, coming up behind me. "Now let's see if we weren't right about them hiding up there."

\/\/\/

I took precautions when leaving the Faculty Room, and forced my companions to follow me along the edge of the wall. When we neared the stairwell, I turned my head to look down the hall where the demon once was.

It was no longer there.

Nodding to myself, I motioned the girls to follow me back up the stairs. At the top, I stopped them again, withdrawing my gun and stepping out into the open. All was clear. Raising an eyebrow, I slowly urged them forward.

"That feeling of anxiety that I had before…" I muttered. "It's not there anymore."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, looking over her shoulder.

I shook the thought from my mind. "Forget about it. Let's continue on."

I took the lead down the hall, moving brusquely, but keeping quiet enough in case anyone was nearby. When I rounded the corner, revolver in hand, it was a small surprise that a demon wasn't waiting for us.

"Up to the next floor," I said, guiding them to the stairwell on the opposite end. "The Clock Tower should be there." _No doubt, we'll see something moving up there…_

But when we reached the third floor, I noticed something peculiar and my anxiety began to eat away at me.

"Where are the demons?" I asked. "There's absolutely no resonance anywhere."

"I was wondering the same thing myself…" Maya put a hand to her forehead, as though it were helping her to think better.

Suddenly, I was stopped by a blinding light and my ears began to ring. I grabbed my head with one hand.

"Again, this feeling…" I looked up at the Clock Tower door beckoning us. "The Personas are calling each other…? This must be…#501!" I shouted and stormed ahead, forgetting my companions.

"Wait, Sergeant!" Ulala called out. "You can't get in without the key!"

I halted abruptly, and turned to face them with a strong glower. Maya ran to catch up with Ulala on her heels.

"Are you ready?" Maya asked, nervously, as she turned the key in the keyhole. "I don't know what we're going to find…"

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. I _will_ take him into custody. No doubt that it's him I'm feeling from behind this door."

"One," Ulala counted. "Two…"

"Three," I said for her, pushing open the door and aiming my gun in front of me.

I saw no one, so I moved inside. Maya came after with Ulala behind.

"Where are they?" Maya asked, looking around.

"Ah, there," Ulala pointed to the other side of the tower. "Over there!"

Again, the feeling stirred inside my soul as I stared at the Joker and the young woman we had encountered earlier in the Principal's office.

"Lady, you are my partner," Joker cooed as though he were trying to convince her that he was the good guy. "I'm here for you."

The girl backed up into a wall.

"I don't even know you…I never did the Joker Curse…" she protested. The Joker moved closer to the girl.

"No need to worry," he assured. "You'll understand me _and_ the 'Other Side.' If you do, you'll realize that, 'This Side' is the evil side. I won't hurt you; let's go."

I redirected my gun at the Joker, "#501, get away from that girl!"

He turned, viciously, and sliced his sword through the air.

"Don't get in my way! You can just play with them!"

Three demons appeared before us, one that took on the appearance of a slimy, snake-like woman in a forest green dress and two small dragon creatures.

"Empusas!" Joker called forth, "Apeps! Take care of them!"

Maya took immediate control, her eyes cold. "Persona!" Maia appeared above her, who summoned an attack that I had already seen before. _Earlier…on that large monster with the sickle…_ "Hama!"

Ulala followed up, her timing almost as perfect. Raising a hand to the sky, she looked heavenwards, Callisto coming to her aid. "Ciao!" Crossing her hands, the red silhouette of her Persona lunged forward, "Magna!" I stood in the background, watching as the heated battle continued on. Hama flattened the demon, smothering it beneath its mighty, golden rings. The other Apep was crushed beneath the mound of rocks, but only faltered for a moment, dizzily flying back into the air above us.

The two attacks simultaneously hit the demons with full capacity, but, despite the low resonance of power the demons emitted, the Empusas counteracted all attempts made against them. She cast Dia on them both, and the wounds of our enemies healed, as though completely erasing our actions. They turned their attention to the three of us, looking fiercer than they had before.

"This isn't working," I told them. "We have to try a different approach!"

"What if we fused our spells together?" Maya suggested.

"Fused?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Good idea, Ma-ya," Ulala smiled and pounded her fist in her palm. "Let's try it! Quick, before those demon scum counterattack!"

I shook my head. "I hope this works. Persona!"

"Persona!" the two women echoed in unison behind me.

Combined with Aqua, Magna, and Agi, the swirling mess that came to formed an earthquake, violently shaking the room with great magnitude. I almost reached out to brace myself, but realized that the fusion called for all of us. I could not back down now. I staggered backwards, but held my own until countless rocks tumbled down from the ceiling of the tower and crushed the demon Empusas, eliminating her from the battle. I leaned over the rail and watched as she crashed downwards into the gears of the clock tower. My attention turned to Maya, eyes wide, and she smiled.

"H-How did you know that that would…work?" I stammered.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Just a gut feeling that I've done this before."

At the sound of a mighty shrill, our focus was brought back to the two infuriated Apeps, who were rapidly beating their wings against their body.

"But we'll discuss it later," Maya added. "Let's get rid of these guys, and fast!"

"Right," I agreed. "Again?"

"Again!" Ulala echoed, her body encased in a blue light. "Persona!"

_Again. _For a second time, we summoned our new creation—Stone Rise, we had called it—and watched as another intense tremor shook the ground from the inside, tearing the last two demons to pieces. The gears in the clock tower began to smoke from all the rocks and dust, and I was almost afraid that the tower would collapse down upon us. It wasn't until after the smoke had cleared that I found the strength to glance up. The demons were gone, but an unimpressed Joker stood in their place.

Then, much to my surprise, he smiled. "Not bad…" he chuckled, and then turned back to Anna, who was no longer there. He tilted his head downwards and recognized the girl at his feet. Anna was out cold. "Oh, fine, just sleep for a bit."

The Joker looked back to us, muttering something about unfinished business and interferences. In the back of my mind, I knew what was next, but his Persona was faster than my reaction and emerged again, towering above the three of us. With a wave of its hand, a glittered trail of dust swept over us. I held my hands out to catch bits of it, but it wasn't long until its effect had its way with me. I tried to resist, but it was futile and my body began to sway on its own, my eyelids fluttering.

"Ugh…! Shi…" A moment later, I rejoined the floor.

In my distant consciousness, I could hear the door opening and someone start to shout.

"Y, You're…!" I was sure the voice belonged to Joker's. Two swords clashed, and a moment later, it was silent.

\/\/\/

When I came to, Maya was standing above me, her worried eyes looking out the open Clock Tower door. Ulala was standing at her side, confused.

"So, you're saying that this 'Déjà Vu Boy' told you to spread a rumor? What the heck? What will that accomplish!"

"I don't know," Maya replied, almost testily, as though Ulala had repeated the question several times before I had awoken. "But he's the one I told you I bumped into at the train station, remember?"

Ulala held her hands on her hips, skeptically. "How would _he_ know that we were here, Maya? That's just crazy!"

"Then tell me how I got to holding this!" Maya argued and spun around to meet her redheaded friend, holding a patch of the Seven Sisters emblem in her fingers. "He saved us from Joker, Ulala, and then told me to spread the rumor!"

"Excuse me," I interrupted, pushing myself into a sitting position. "I don't mean to intrude, but…what happened?"

"Maya says that her 'Déjà Vu Boy' came to the rescue and told her to spread a rumor at some place called 'Kuzunoha' located somewhere in the Aoba Ward. Apparently, if we _spread_ this rumor that the Joker can't harm those holding one of the emblems, it will come true," she gestured to the emblem in Maya's hand.

I looked from her to Maya, not saying a word. After all, what _could_ I say?

"You think I'm crazy," the raven haired woman frowned and turned away from me, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face. "…I knew it."

"I never said that," I protested, standing on my feet. "It's just hard to digest, that's all. Don't you think that everything up until now has been that way?"

She was no longer angry, but she didn't say anything more about it. I opened my mouth to ask about the "Déjà Vu Boy," but I was distracted by the whining sirens from outside, and the screeching of heavy automotives.

"Backup's here," I muttered. "Not like it helps much now. The Joker's escaped and the 'Déjà Vu Boy' is already gone, too."

"But what about her?" Ulala jerked a thumb in the direction of the still unconscious Anna. "At least you got one of your witnesses."

I nodded. "I'll have the police take her into custody. As for me, I need to speak with the Captain right away about this issue."

She laughed. I couldn't believe it! "What's so funny?" I demanded.

Ulala shook her head, shrugging. "It's a waste of time, Sergeant. What are you going to tell them? Do you _really_ think they'll buy the whole rumor and Joker ordeal? It still sounds farfetched to _me!_"

"I don't care if you buy it or not. _You're_ not the person I need to speak to. Now, if you'll excuse me…" I brushed past her.

The last thing I heard her say before I left for the stairwell was, "Fine. It's your funeral."

\/\/\/

I waited at the crime scene for Captain Shimazu to arrive with the rest of the team. Detective Tani was with him. I turned to face him, arms crossed.

"The student profiles aren't reliable," Tani announced. Then he released an almost sardonic laugh. "So it looks like another guy has drawn the 'Old Maid' card."

Captain Shimazu turned and pointed to Maya and Ulala. "Those are the first on-scene?" I nodded. "Where's the student witness?"

"I sent her to the Police Hospital." I swallowed, slowly preparing for the breaking of the surface. _It's not like Ulala's words are affecting me or anything…_ "The 'Old Maid' is after the witness. Put some guards on her."

"So, I heard you came in contact with #501…" He raised his head slightly heavenwards and it reminded me of Ikeda. "Report it…"

I explained my story hastily—everything from what I had learned about Anna to what happened in the Clock Tower. I made sure to bring in the usage of "Persona" and mentioned the man who gave them to us, "Philemon," though I wasn't ready to tell him that I was a Persona user myself, so I left that out. Then, I moved onto the topic of demons and how they were dangerously roaming the halls and about our near death experience with one. I was almost hesitant to bring in Maya's 'Déjà Vu Boy,' so I made slight reference to it. When I had finished, I observed the Captain and Detective's face. They were in disbelief.

"Suou…" Detective Tani waved a hand at me, "you rest. You've been working too hard since the 'Old Maid' appeared." Then, amazingly, he broke into laughter, "Take your dad to a vacation spot once in a while."

I was taken aback. _What the?_

"Mr. Tani…!" My voice was filled with a mixture of anger and incredulity.

I turned to face Shimazu, who showed a concurrent facial expression. "Officer Suou, as of today, you are off the team." He shrugged his shoulders, closing his eyes and lifting his brows, as he faked a disappointed sigh. "I heard that you were a superior detective. But, it's a shame." Then, he, too, joined Tani in laughing at me.

I felt my cheeks grow warm in embarrassment and I tried to hide the sudden flush by lowering my face. _How dare he bring up my father that way…_

With my head away from them, I turned to brush past them when Shimazu whispered in my ear, "'Like father, like son'…Huh…?"

My eyes darkened and I sharply glared at him before storming down the hall, clenching my fists so hard that the color drained from them. _How can they think I was delusional!_

"That's why I tried to stop you…" Ulala's voice made me stand still. _She just __**had**__ to rub it in, didn't she?_ She continued, "So, what are you gonna do? You're not _really_ going on vacation, are you?"

I turned to look at her and shook my head, cheeks still flustered, though I tried hard to ignore it.

"Don't be absurd…" I spat. "The only officer to see him was me. I _will _ be the one to arrest him."

Ulala shrugged. "Well then…How about spreading that 'anti-Joker' rumor the 'Déjà Vu Boy' was talking about?" She turned to look at Maya, as though searching for a concordant gesture.

"That's absurd…" I disagreed before Maya could say "yes." "It's not logical. There are times when rumors do come true, but that's only…"

She stomped her foot and glared at me.

"Would you stop calling me 'absurd?' Can everything up until now be explained! You rock-head with sideburns!"

I looked at her, blinking. _What kind of name calling is that? It doesn't even __**make**__ sense! What does my hair have to do with the situation at hand?_

Just to please her, I said nothing else in deviation. Besides, in a way, I knew she was right. And, just to spite Shimazu and Tani, I wanted to find out what was going on, too.

"Sideburns…" I muttered, eyes still glowering. "Fine…Whatever. There's the matter of the boy who saved us. Let's hear what that detective has to say."

"Well," Maya said, grinning. "Since we'll be together for a while, let's at least get to know each other." She stepped forward and took my hand, shaking it. I was caught off guard, but returned the gesture. "I'm Maya Amano, what's yours, Sergeant?"

I stared at her for a moment. "Suou…Katsuya Suou."

"And mine's Ulala Serizawa," Ulala said shortly, causing me to release Maya's hand and face her.

"Nice to meet you." I nodded, trying to force a smile, even through my bitterness.

This was going to be a long day. But perhaps it was worth it…

\/\/\/

HULU DANCE!

ML


	4. A Stranger in Aoba

**Disclaimer:** Yeah. Still don't own Persona.

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews last time, guys. Hope I can still please. :-D

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Chapter Three**

**A Stranger In Aoba**

**\/\/\/**

I looked back one last time before finally losing interest and left the crime to the police. _They won't miss me…Not like it matters. I can't believe Tani pulled me off the case._

Shaking the unpleasant thought from my mind, I followed the two girls out of the school, fighting past the crowds that had gathered on the steps to watch. Out of habit, I stopped and began to push the people back, telling them that there was nothing to see until the police had thoroughly investigated the crime. Maya and Ulala must've realized that I was no longer with them because they darted back to the school and Serizawa threw her arms out, screaming at me.

I paused, chewing on my bottom lip, and wordlessly left the scene.

As we left the Seven Sisters School and the people to their pandemonium, two students from Seven Sisters appeared at the school gates and rushed toward us. One was a tall boy holding the hand of a shorter girl. I quickly halted, back straightened, and watched them with rising interest.

The boy skidded to a screeching standstill, catching the girl before she teetered over. Both were at a loss for breath and their faces were pale. Whether it be from fright or from running, I was certain to find out.

"Are you…associated with the…police force?" the girl with short purple hair directed the question towards me, panting and holding a hand to her chest. I nodded.

"We heard you talking on the third floor," explained the taller boy with brown hair, "I apologize for eavesdropping; we were hiding from the demons and watched you guys walk into the Clock Tower." Then he cut to the chase, "You mentioned something about a boy who fought off the Joker…"

"Yes," Maya interrupted, stepping to the front, "Did you see anything?"

"Yeah," The girl nodded her head and exhaled. She paused for another moment before continuing on, "You said he was wearing red garments, right?"

"With a black 'X' marked on the front?" the boy added.

Maya beamed.

"Where did you see him?" she asked, her excitement getting the best of her.

The girl pointed back to where they had come from.

"Araya Shrine," she answered. "I saw him dash over there. He was running real fast."  
"Great," Ulala mirrored her friend's enthusiasm. "Let's go and find him. Maybe we can get him to tell us what's going on."

"Good idea," I agreed. Though I was still skeptical about Maya's "Déjà Vu Boy," it wasn't worth dismissing any leads at the moment. If such a man was real, then I was very interested in meeting him and learning all that he knew about whatever it was that was going on. "We're going to need as much information as possible. And since he saved us, we'll definitely need to question him."

"Thanks," Maya turned back toward the teens and smiled. "We'll go check it out right now."

"Hey, good luck," the boy nodded, his cheeks still flustered. "This is really bothering everyone."

"I know that," I said to him. "And I promise you that we will get to the bottom of this."

I paused and then quickly caught notice that I was being left behind as the two females took off down the road. I frowned, discouraged. Here I was, doing my job, and I felt like I wasn't being taken seriously.

_Women._

I slightly waved the teens off and darted after my companions, Maya far into the lead. It seemed that no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't gain on them; they just ran faster.

_Their exhilaration over this must certainly outstrip mine. They didn't even wait for me…!_

Again, I despondently said, _"Women…"_ mentally in my mind.

I crossed two blocks, ignored honking cars, and took a sharp left at the next road. Maya and Ulala eventually melted away onto the horizon, which meant that I was falling even further behind. Lifting my legs higher, I increased my pace, heart catching in between the walls of my throat. Just when I thought that I couldn't go any further, the bright red overlay caught my eye.

Their still forms hung at the entrance and they each took turns searching for the boy. I finished last and stooped over to catch my breath.

"…Gone," I heard Maya finally say. "We must've gotten here a second too late."

I looked up at her from the corner of my eye and caught the crestfallen expression on her soft and delicate face.

"Don't worry, Ma-ya," Ulala consoled her friend and pulled her into a sideways hug. "I have a feeling we'll see him again."

Finally regaining my composure, I stood up and looked around. Indeed, there was no boy around.

"Yeah," Maya smiled.

"But…" the boxer's face grew more serious. "How do we even know that those kids were telling the truth about him being here in the first place? Dirty little eavesdroppers…"

"Because," Maya turned to face her friend, gripping lightly at her elbow, "I feel his resonance here."

"Per…sona Resonance?" Ulala arched an eyebrow.

Maya simply nodded.

The large shrine stood intimidating before us, brown shingles lined in rows along the top, the bamboo door, and even the stone path leading up to its existence. It brought back so many memories from my childhood—memories of my little brother and I. Memories of when my mother and father had taken me to the festivals when I was a child. Even memories of times long past that and I would simply come here on my off time to meditate. My heart dropped when the dream I had had earlier rushed back to me.

More like a nightmare.

It took everything thing I had not to appear stupid and begin looking for the figure who had been inside of the burning shrine.

_I wonder…did she make it out of the fire in time? Even if it __**was**__ a dream, did it have a happy ending?_

"….It's been so long since I've been here." I whispered. "I used to bring my little brother here for the festivals." I hardly noticed that Maya and Ulala had turned around to stare at me. Lowering my head, I continued, "He's always been so restless…If I look away, next thing you know he'd be gone…" I laughed gently to myself. "You know, he's still like that."

"Mr. Suou…" Glancing up, I saw Ulala's troubled eyes, "What happened to your brother?"

I averted my gaze and went back to the environs of Araya Shrine.

"I don't know." I answered truthfully. "He just…didn't come home one day." It didn't take me until just then to realize how hard his absence had hit me. Memories flooded back to when I had opened the door that night and couldn't find him. I had checked his room and all of the other rooms. I even drug out the phonebook and began to carelessly call everyone in Sumaru City. No one had seen him. Day after day I waited, but nothing changed. Soon, the atmosphere grew accustomed to his absence, the lack of messes in the kitchen, his room, and even the living room. I had tried hard not to show my discontentment at work, and perhaps it came easy to me, but at this moment…here at the shrine…I knew nothing had changed from that night. "I haven't heard from him since."

Silence hovered between us for quite some time, and I didn't realize how much it had been affecting Maya until she began to furiously rub at her eyes. "Let's head over to Kaori," she suggested, changing the subject, more or less to help ease herself. "I hear that their aromas from different plants can heal your wounds." Then she forced a laugh, "I've had such a pounding headache, and so I want to try it out."

"Good thinking, Ma-ya." Ulala moved her eyes down to a flashy wound on her arm, "This scratch has been driving me nuts, and I've heard about that place too. Rumor has it that…"

Without realizing that they were leaving me behind, once again, they began to talk about the different medicines that "Kaori" or whatever had. I shook my head and followed after, once again faltering outside of the circle.

_Oh well,_ I thought, _Women will be women._

\/\/\/

As the doors slid open to make way for us, the aroma of peppermint fluttered to my nose. I was taken aback by how strong it was, but after a moment or two, it became refreshing. The tingling of its spiciness mixed in with another softer smell (I spent a while trying to overcome the "Tip-of-the-Tongue-Phenomenon" before revealing the fragrance of cool mint). It actually did make me feel lightheaded, in a good way.

Bottles were lined up on a circular shelf, stacked from down at the bottom up to the ceiling, and decorative plants hung from the upper corners of the store. Glancing left and right, more large sized bottles were organized together up all the way to the back wall. It was a tidy little store that was awfully busy for this time of the day. A small woman clasping a long forest green shawl around her shoulders smiled in greeting to us. I nodded back and moved inside.

"Mmmmm, Ma-ya, do you smell that?" Ulala closed her eyes and pushed her nose up into the air, taking in deep breaths.

"It's peppermint," Maya inhaled slowly for a moment and stifled a cough. Then she laughed. "_Very_ strong peppermint."

While they took to one side of the circular post, I walked around the other. My eyes wandered back and forth in observation, the beautifully colored bottles lighting up the room. Reaching over to pull a bottle off from the shelf, I slowly unscrewed the lid and positioned it underneath my nose before breathing in. A calm feeling washed over me and I suddenly felt more relaxed than what I had before. Everything up until this point subsided—even Tani relieving me from active duty. I stared at the bottle for a moment longer, mind drifting. I didn't go far until Maya came bouncing up behind me.

"What'cha looking for, Katsuya?" She looked at the bottle in my hand. "Oh, that's Jasmine. Smells great, huh?"

It took me by surprise that she had addressed me by my first name. We hadn't known each other for more than a few hours, and I wasn't used to such informalities. Still, I wouldn't let it bother me and merely nodded and began to screw the lid back onto the glass bottle.

"So this is the healing stuff," I observed audibly. "I never thought I would have to depend on this kind of thing but, it's helping now." My gaze lowered to the floor and I set the bottle back on the shelf. That's when my worries came back to me like a rushing river. "…Personas…Philemon…All these insane things are happening…" I glanced at the raven-haired woman, "To tell you the truth, it makes my head spin."

Her face had turned serious for a moment, but then subsided and, before long, she was laughing. Maya placed a hand on my shoulder, as if to comfort me.

"Don't worry," she assured. "We'll figure it out. Let's think positive."

She patted my back once and cheerfully walked away. I stared after her, my mouth open, surprised that she could be so calm. _A moment ago she was so downcast, but it seems as though she is a very resilient person. How envious…_

I almost let the smile go on until I realized how out of character it was for me. Swallowing my grin, I turned my gaze back towards the shelf of bottles.

"You're so composed," I whispered, thinking of Maya as I listened to the two girls behind me squeal at every bottle they saw on the shelf. "I think the strength of this Persona is just too much for the human body…but it doesn't seem to bother you at all…"

Maya turned around.

"I'm sorry, Katsuya, did you say something?"

I jerked back in sudden surprise and nearly knocked a bottle from the shelf. Fumbling to catch it, I pushed it to the far back and quickly pivoted on my heel. "Uh…No…" I lied. My voice was flat, but it slightly radiated with something suspicious.

_Maybe they caught on._

She laughed at my foolishness and turned back to the aromas. "Oh, hey! Ulala, look at this one!"

We bought what we needed, ignored what we didn't, and headed for Aoba Ward. My eyes kept shooting back to the four large bags of bottles in Serizawa's hands. My mouth twitched. Even in the midst of danger, women were no different. I fished out my wallet and was half expecting a fly to buzz out of it. Who knew that those aromas would be so expensive?

When Ulala realized that, combined, she and Maya did not have enough money, she nearly latched onto me, whining about some big salary that she knew I was hiding. From the look on my face, she knew that I had no such salary. Nevertheless, she would not budge from the store until I paid their way. Narrowing my eyes at the unsuspecting women, I shoved my wallet back into my pocket.

When we arrived at Kuzunoha, I almost didn't realize it. It was a building all of its own, tall and newly furnished. The sign was on the other side of the edifice in gold plated letters, so I had to sidestep to read it. Craning my head heavenwards, I stared at the several floors of windows leading into the sky.

"Wow," I breathed, amazed. "It's huge! For an office building, it's in very tidy condition."

"I heard that it got remodeled last year," Ulala said, opening the door. "I've come here once or twice for different reasons, but, if what 'Déjà Vu Boy' said was true, then there's a certain office we're looking for." Then, she became impatient, "Now are we gonna just stand here, or are we gonna go inside?"

I motioned my hand to the door.

"Ladies first."

Ulala went in first, followed by Maya, and I came in last. The redhead glanced at the map hanging from a glass frame on the wall, rubbing her chin in thought. "There's not much that we would be looking for…" she said, thoughtfully. "But I think this 'Detective Todoroki' may have the answers we're looking for."

"And his specialty?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest.

"Eh, cases." The redhead squinted her eyes as she read, "'From love affairs to ghosts.'" She shrugged, "Ghosts?"

"It doesn't matter," I told her and stepped past her to stare at the map.

"Hey! I was still looking at that!"

I pulled back. "He's on floor five. Let's go." Stepping across the tan tiled floor, my eyes caught the elevator in the back.

"W-Wait a second!" Ulala screeched, her voice echoing in the lobby. "Don't we have to make an appointment first? That's what the lobby is _for,_ Sergeant."

"I'll tell him the police are here to question him." I pushed the up button next to the elevator doors and waited patiently for a response.

"Guess it's good that we have a police officer here with us," Maya playfully stuck her tongue out at her friend and stood by my side.

"I suppose…" Serizawa responded, warily.

When the magnetic doors pulled back, I stepped inside, the sound of clicking heels following afterwards, and I leaned down to push the big '5' on the door. They slid shut, and I silently braced myself as the elevator ascended higher, my head growing light with the movement. Maya looked upward at the glowing numbers as we passed each floor, tapping her foot and holding her hands on her stomach.

Ulala sighed and turned to face the reflecting wall of the brass elevator, hands on her hips. I stepped to the front when the elevator stalled, and stepped into the hallway. The first wooden door on the left had a gold name plate that read "Todoroki" in clear, crisp letters.

"There," I nodded. "Let's see if he's open."

Taking a few steps forward I reached around the doorknob, turned it, and pushed the door open allowing the girls in, courteously, before I went in. A young woman with short brown hair caught sight of our presence and immediately began to smooth down her jacket and pants before greeting us.

"Welcome!" her cheerful voice loud and high-pitched. "I'm Tammy!" She smiled and reached out to shake our hands. "We take cases of all kinds, from secret love affairs to ghosts!"

_I think I remember Ulala reading something like that down in the lobbey._

"Well, no," I said, straightening my glasses and turning to Maya. "I want to ask something." I stared ahead, taking note of a form that resembled a heavy, old man, who was cautiously eyeing us, "Could it be possible to spread a rumor, uh…" I glanced at the name tag on his shirt,"…Mr. Todoroki?"

Tammy looked from us to him, baffled. Mr. Todoroki, who was much in the same state, maneuvered around from behind his desk and spoke, his voice deep and somewhat rusty, as though he hadn't spoken for quite some time.

"I've never taken a request to spread rumors, but someone _did_ come in to ask if the Joker rumor had been spread."

"Yeah," Tammy chirped. "Detective Todoroki and I looked at him, and asked 'what?' By the way, what exactly _was_ the Joker rumor?"

I exchanged glances with the girls and then looked back at the detective. Where could we even begin?

"Before we answer your question, could you answer ours?" I shifted my weight onto my right leg. "What kind of person was he?"

"Well," Tammy began, trying hard to remember, "He was dressed in a strange red outfit…Oh! And there was a black 'X' across the front of the shirt." She used her arms to cross in front of her chest. "He had brown hair, too."

"That's the 'Déjà Vu Boy.'" Ulala confirmed, "Right Ma-ya?"

Maya agreed. "Yes, that's him."

"Tell me a little more," the chief scratched his chin. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Well," Ulala began, "the serial killings are supposed to be related to Joker. Rumor has it that if you call your own number on your cell phone and curse someone you don't like, then the Joker comes to kill that particular person. While we were at Seven Sisters, the Joker appeared, killed the principal, and summoned demons to attack us."

I looked at her and ran over her hasty explanation that took her all of three seconds to construct. _I wonder if it was wise to leave out the mentioning of the Personas…? Then again, people might get scared if they hear more about them…_

"I see…" Todoroki tapped his fingers on the desk behind him. "Very interesting. The bizarre serial murders, the rumors of the Joker, the sighting of demons…It all makes sense if the rumors are true." He nodded in understanding. "Very well, I'll accept the request to spread that anti-Joker rumor. It's a good chance to see if a rumor can become reality."

I was quite shocked to see how stable he and Tammy were after hearing that demons were running rampant throughout the city and that the Joker Rumors were real. I was very impressed. I knew that if I had been in that same situation myself, there wasn't any way I could have taken it with such a level and understanding head.

Ulala apparently thought the same way.

"You seemed to have accepted that quickly. You're not gonna report it to the hospital?" Ulala inquired, obviously a little startled by her own clarification of things.

"The world is filled with mystery. We can't be held down by 'common sense.'" Then he chuckled, his large belly rumbling. "Well, then…a _real_ man goes by his own rules. First, ask me to spread the rumor."

Chief Todoroki returned to his desk and sat down at his computer. After a moment typed in something on the screen.

I narrowed my eyes at him, confused. "Uh…please spread the rumor?" I felt stupid by repeating what he had asked us to do. It was already obvious, since that was what we had told him in the first place, that we wanted to spread a rumor.

"He's pulling up Baofu's site," Tammy whispered to us. "Just give him a minute."

I glanced to the side and caught sight of the golden lucky cat statue in the corner. I smiled and pointed. Maya followed my gaze and then turned her eyes back to me.

"That's a cute lucky cat statue," I beamed.

She blinked and there was a strong hiatus between us.

"Wow," she blurted out after quite some time. "I didn't expect you to say something like that."

My finger dropped and my face dimmed.

"What? Is it that weird…for me to be a cat lover?"

"Oh, no, no!" she waved her hands in front of her face in defense. "That's not what I meant at all!"

I stared at her, confused, and she laughed softly. _How odd…_

"Okay," the chief broke up our conversation and beckoned Maya to come over. "Tell me the rumor."

"All right," she nodded, "Spread a rumor that the Seven Sisters emblem will repel the Joker."

He took her words in and began to type something on the computer. After a moment, he declared, "Done. The request is now approved. Check the results yourself."

"That 'Déjà Vu Boy' seems to be looking for the source of the rumors…" Tammy's face lit up and she held her hands out to the side. "I know of a good underground page."

She followed Maya over to the computer and Todoroki looked up at her.

"May I use the computer, chief?" she requested.

He nodded and stepped aside. She sat down in his chair, scooted it forward and rested her fingers against the keyboard. Staring hard at the screen, she typed in an address with precision. Maya sat down next to her and waited for the page to load. I shrugged and moved in behind her while Ulala stood beside Tammy.

"What's this?" Maya shifted in her seat, uncomfortably.

"Baofu's rumor page," Tammy answered logging us into a chat room.

"Baofu?" I questioned.

"'Baofu,' who's a friend of the chief, has a web page with all the rumors in this city," Tammy pointed to the screen, "That's where you can post and spread rumors." She beamed, "Ah, good. He's in a chat room right now."

"Okay, I'll talk to him," Maya said, shifting into Tammy's seat once the brunette had vacated it. Maya watched the loading screen.

"…It wants a username," I pointed out.

I watched the raven-haired woman tilt her head down to stare at a key chain attached to her cell phone. A moment later, she looked back to the computer and typed in, "Rabbit" as the screen name.

"Ma-ya," Ulala leaned over the chair, "ask to talk to that 'Baofu' guy."

"I am," she replied, words flashing across the screen. I turned my head away, staring at Todoroki, who was sorting old books on his shelf. Tammy stood beside Ulala, but said nothing.

"Tell him about the Joker," Ulala reached over Maya's shoulder to touch the keys, but Maya swatted her away.

"Ulala, I have it under control."

She started typing again while Ulala dictated to her for a minute longer.

"Ulala!" Maya finally snapped, "let me type!"

"Ma-ya," Ulala was oblivious to Maya's rage, "you should tell him about the Persona and…Oh, he's replying to you."

Rolling her eyes, Maya looked back to the screen.

_"Rabbit," _flashed across the screen after a second, _"You saw the Joker…? They say no one escapes once he's after you. How'd you survive?"_

Maya typed in, _"I don't think there's a realistic way to describe it."_

I tilted my eyes to the screen.

_"So you're saying I wouldn't believe it? …Oh well…I'll know when I see you. We'll meet at 2X Slash in Aoba, Rabbit. Tell the worker my handle, and do what they tell you…"_

He logged off.

"Sounds suspicious," I objected. "…Should we go?"

"Of course," Maya said, almost immediately. "This guy seems to know something that we don't. And at this point, we're definitely going to need all the help we can get."

I flinched, still unsure of their decision. "All right," I sighed. "But this seems like a bad idea."

"Oh, stop being such a worrywart, Sergeant!" Ulala scolded and stepped back, allowing Maya to stand and move away from the chair. I shook my head.

"2X Slash is right next door," Tammy informed us. "He'll be along shortly, if we know him at all." She conjured a laugh at the last part.

"Tell me how things go," Todoroki turned from his spot at the bookshelf. "And good luck to you guys."

"Thank you for your time," I bowed my head. "You were most helpful."

"It was nothing at all."

\/\/\/

2X Slash was a popular café with internet access all the way around. It was a clean environment, much to contrary belief, though I had never spent much time in such a place myself. The windows were spotless, the fans were running, and several people were already inside, absorbed in their own little world on the computer.

As we entered the building, I instantly began to scan through the small crowd.

"You won't find him that way," Ulala nudged me. "We only met him on the net."

"Let's go ask the waiter," Maya suggested, already moving past us.

Ulala and I exchanged looks and trailed after.

"I just know that this is a bad idea," I whispered under my breath.

"Excuse me," Maya caught the waiter off guard and he seemed a little startled as she continued to speak, though it was oblivious to her. "We're supposed to meet a 'Baofu' here. I'm…"

"Welcome," the waiter interrupted, "You're Rabbit, yes? I've already heard. Use that red machine over there." He leaned over the counter and pointed to the lone ruby colored computer behind us.

"Thank you," I said quickly and started off toward the computer desk.

I motioned Maya to sit down and talk to Baofu in the private chat room, as I had limited computer skills myself. She obliged and logged in. Baofu was already waiting for us and immediately initiated conversation upon our arrival.

_"Rabbit, I see how you survived. I didn't imagine three Persona Users."_

We were shocked. How had he known!

"Wai….How'd you know that!" Ulala looked around the room, frantically. The soul deep in my mind began to call out again.

_"Odysseus…so you told him?"_

_ Huh? Helios?_

"This is…a Persona!" I exclaimed, eyes widening.

_"Helios, you're foolish. I've been here the entire time."_

I spun on my back foot, gaze aimed at the back of the room where a man with long black hair and glasses sat in front of a computer. Suddenly, he stood up, staring back at us. He was wearing some sort of unique looking gold suit. He grinned.

"You people have just become Persona Users…You don't know how to use your 'chi.' It's obvious." He turned off his computer and walked over to the door, lighting a cigarette on the way. "Follow me…"

He pushed the door back and left. Without a word, Maya and Ulala obediently pursued. I stared after them in disbelief.

"W-What? You guys are just going to follow him?" I called after them. "You don't even _know_ him!"

My shouting was in vain I knew. They weren't even _listening_ to me.

_That's not surprising…_

I sighed and followed after. I had wished that _one_ of them would've waited up for me. They just seemed so fascinated with that long haired man.

\/\/\/

We stopped at Parabellum; he suggested that it would be the perfect place to talk. We were seated and he waited until after the first set of drinks had arrived before he said a word. I glanced around, ignoring the silence, and caught feel for the relaxing atmosphere here. It was a popular place amongst my colleagues after work, even though it was in a completely different ward. I had come here myself a few times, but those were on nights that I was with friends. I disapproved of driving and drinking.

The lights were always dimmed and the place was usually calm, until recently. Cigarette smoke lingered in the air and large bottles of alcohol were lined up behind the counter, where the bartender could be seen mixing drinks. I tapped my fingers against the table, waiting patiently for a conversation to start. But, as he said before, Baofu would say nothing until we received our drinks.

I was relieved when they finally came.

He told us that his name _was_ in fact "Baofu" and that he was a Persona User himself. He insisted that we tell him all that we knew and I volunteered to explain everything, as I could tell the two women were not up to it. I sat back in my chair, beginning with the incident at Seven Sisters and the murder of the Principal. He nodded, letting his cigarette dangle loosely between his fingers. The smell of cigarette smoke always triggered something in my brain, and this time was no different. I tried to distract myself by continuing on with the story.

"After that, the Joker appeared," I continued on, "he was talking about Persona and something about 'This Side' and the 'Other Side' to the student witness, Anna Yoshizaka."

"Go on," he insisted.

I did. I brought up Philemon, his weakened state, and the separation of death and consciousness. Baofu did not flinch, and I was almost certain that he knew who I was referring to. Still, I pressed on. I told him about Maya's "Déjà Vu Boy" and how he had told us to come to Kuzunoha to meet Todoroki and spread a rumor. It sounded very perplex, even coming from my mouth.

"…I see. Interesting…" Baofu set his cigarette aside and took a drink of his bourbon. Then he grinned.

"…We said about all we know. Now it's your turn." I folded my arms over my chest and shifted in my chair.

"From what I've researched," he scrutinized us all, carefully, "the Joker Rumors are taken from some TV show, which then start to spread like wildfire. But before that, not even the 'J' in Joker was known to the public." He leaned back, and took a long drag off of his cigarette. "There's just one exception. Where do you think it is?" We shrugged and looked at each other, clueless. "The phone of Tatsuzou Sudou." Again, he set his cigarette aside, picked up his glass with his other hand, and took a drink.

"Who is Tatsuzou Sudou?" Ulala inquired. I turned towards her and answered before Baofu could.

"The current Foreign Minister…" I looked back over at him, "How would you know?" He snickered and furtively pulled out a tape recorder. I knew instantly what he meant by it and my eyes narrowed. "…A wire tap…? That's illegal."

He waved me off.

"Don't be so stiff. It's been going around that he's been doing some pretty dirty stuff underground. That ten year unsolved serial arson-murder case…It's an infamous rumor between police and investigators that it was his son."

My eyes widened in horror.

"Is that…true!"

He looked confused, startled by my outburst.

I wanted to know. I wanted to know the connection! _About the past…ten years ago…_

"What…you don't know?" Of course I knew, but he brushed it off and continued, "Well, either way, about this incident, you don't think it was a coincidence, do you?"

"Then the Foreign Minister Tatsuzou Sudou has something to do with the Joker case!" Ulala almost jumped out of her chair. I found it slightly amusing how she pretended to know about something that was apparent that she didn't.

"'We' are going to find out about that now." Baofu discarded his burnt out drag and lit another one. He turned to Maya. "Take me with you." It wasn't a plea, but a command. "I know where Sudou's son lives. You guys get clues on the Joker. As long as I'm by the next target, I will get closer to the truth. Not a bad deal." He chuckled, and took another sip from his near empty glass.

"What do you plan to do with the truth?" I asked, none too pleased about letting this complete stranger join us. I took a gamble by throwing out, "Your objective is blackmail, huh?" I took a drink from my glass of club soda. Being on duty, I refused to have liquor of any kind.

"Heh heh…My intentions are honorable, I can assure you," he objected. "I can't let evil prevail…"

"…What should we do?" I looked at Maya, who had remained quiet the whole time, and asked for her opinion. "You're being targeted, so you decide."

"Well…" She looked down in her lap and then back up at me. "What about the rumor regarding the emblem? We still don't know if rumor can become reality yet."

Baofu chuckled.

"You understand what I'm talking about. Well then, let me test something first…" Baofu withdrew a cell phone from his coat and dialed a number. I quirked an eyebrow at his sudden movement, not quite knowing what to expect. He paused and then spoke when someone picked up the line, "Yeah, Todoroki?" _Ah, Kuzunoha. I see…_ "I'm in Parabellum right now. Spread a rumor that they're selling weapons here." After another moment, he flipped the phone shut and put it back into his pocket. Ulala spoke up.

"Hey…What are you trying to do?"

"I don't believe that rumors can come true…" he admitted. "So I'm testing it out."

Not even before the words left his mouth, the barkeeper walked up, carrying a black, elegant case. He opened the lid to the case and displayed polished guns lying comfortably in the red, velvet fabric for us to see. Baofu was taken aback as well as the rest of us.

"Excuse me, can I interest you in our new service? We carry arms for protection."

Baofu peered over his spectacles. "I'm surprised…" Then, he began to laugh, "Hell, it actually worked…"

"We have other weapons lined up," the barkeeper added. "Feel free to ask for anything…"

"No," I shook my head, "but thank you for your time."

"It's not a problem." he replied, closing the lid and locking it.

When he left, we all were reduced to silence…

…except for Ulala, of course.

"T-Then, does that mean the rumor about the emblem is now true!" Ulala breathed a sigh of relief. "Then you're all right, Ma-ya!"

Baofu wasn't satisfied with just that. I could see in his eyes that there posed yet _another_ issue.

"So, what'cha gonna do with the emblem?" Baofu leaned back into his chair. "If you keep it, the Joker will just stay away. You don't think you'll run into the 'Déjà Vu Brat' anymore?" Gesturing to the patch in Maya's hand, he added, "…Think of why he gave you that…"

All our eyes were fixed on Maya. Her face lowered and she fingered the emblem. I couldn't begin to imagine what it was like to feel like a target. I was a police officer, but Maya was a simple woman. Though, in my opinion, it would've been best for her to stay uninvolved. However, something told me that she wasn't going to just stay put for my orders. And perhaps it sounded like a selfish thought, but as long as Maya was the next target, the Joker would be after her. As soon as he came nearer, I would be able to take him into custody. _That'll show Tani and Shimazu that I'm not crazy._

My thoughts were confirmed when she gave a wry smile and reached for Baofu's lighter across the table. Baofu grinned when she positioned the lighter at the bottom corner of the emblem, pulled back on the switch, and set fire to the small cloth piece, dropping it into the ashtray. We all watched it become consumed by flames.

"I guess…I have no choice…" she whispered softly, as though what she was saying was painful.

"You did the right thing," Baofu assured, rising from the table. "I'll get the tab; you guys meet me outside." He still had that stupid smile on his face even as he walked away.

I turned to look at Maya.

"How do you feel?" I asked, her face still hinting at signs of dejection as she pushed her chair back.

"I….don't know. I want to find out what's going on, but I know what it's going to entail."

"Don't worry, Ma-ya," Ulala patted her on the back. "It'll be okay. We're here for you and we won't let the Joker do anything to ya!"  
I couldn't tell whether she was trying to console Maya or herself. _She's been acting strangely ever since the Joker told Maya that "she was next…"_ Shrugging it off of my mind, I trailed behind the two through the door to go outside.

\/\/\/

I'd like to think I'm getting back on track with my fanfiction writing. Been busy, but trying nonetheless. Especially with Persona Innocent Sin coming to the PSP in Japan. Hope it makes it to the USA! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please RnR :-)

ML


	5. The Sanitarium at Mt Mifune

**Disclaimer:** You know...they should do a remake of Persona 2...Just saying...Like, ya know, new graphics, voice overs, side quests, the works. :-D

**A/N:** Been playing the patched version of Innocent Sin, so it got me to posting another chapter of this fic and my other Persona fic. Hope it's enough to keep me going on. XD

Thanks for the reviews! Although the story is a novelization (and I hope I've done more than just copied and pasted the game's script and added in a few cheesy scenes), I'm really gonna change it up a little bit, add in some of the side dialogue, and add in more bonding moments. It's hard to not have a story with pairings in it, though, since Katsuya ends up falling in love with Maya, (and I'm a fan of that pairing myself XD) but I will try to stay true to the nature of the game Persona itself.

Hope this chapter turns out all right!

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Chapter Four**

**The Sanitarium at Mt. Mifune**

**\/\/\/**

"Sudou's son should be at the sanitarium at Mt. Mifune," Baofu informed as he joined our company outside. He was smoking a cigarette, unsurprisingly. He leaned his head back to exhale hazy rings.

I nodded, knowing what had to be done. Perhaps this would be over sooner than I had thought. "I see…" I diverted my gaze to Maya, "Miss Amano, let's check it out."

She opened her mouth to reply, but Baofu intervened, shaking his head.

"Hold on," he smiled. "There's a place called the Velvet Room around here. It has something to do with demons." He looked us all over, but his eyes remained on me. "Considering the situation you're in right now, you'll need all the help you can get. Let's go in and have a look."

I frowned.

_ What was **that** look for? Does he think **I'm** incapable of handling things?_

"The Velvet Room? What is that?" I arched an eyebrow, still a little bitter with him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

He leaned back and laughed at me, "I don't even _feel_ like explaining. Just follow me."

Baofu turned and began to walk down the sidewalk, Ulala and Maya falling in step with him. I watched him from behind the group, feeling quite irritable. His cocky attitude, his rudeness toward me...

_I don't like him. I __**really**__ don't. I can't believe we need his help. Isn't there __**any**__ other way?_

He didn't go very far before he turned to face a brick wall in between two stores. Placing two hands on the bricks before him, he pushed his body very closely to the wall, as though meaning to go through it.

_ Is he crazy?_

That wall, however, faded away the closer he approached it, and revealed itself as a holographic door. I was so taken aback by the magic that had been performed, I didn't realize his form becoming transparent. Before I had a chance to register it, he was gone.

"How did he do that!" Ulala gasped, pointing a shaky finger at the door.

"It looks like an illusion…" Maya commented, hesitantly taking a hold of the silhouette that made up the handle. "But it's not. It's a _real_ door."

"Open it," Ulala urged, disbelief still coating her voice.

Maya took a deep breath and pulled back. True enough, it acted as a normal door would and opened just like one. Darkness welcomed us from inside, as though the entire door frame had been wrapped in a thick, black curtain. I could feel a musky breeze hit my face. It made me hesitant, but Maya stepped in fearlessly.

"It's all right," she whispered over her shoulder. "Come on."

The raven-haired woman continued on inside, and I slowly followed afterward, Ulala hovering over my shoulder. I felt something overtake my body and a gentle wash fell upon my face. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, listening to whistling noises accompany the wind. Then the whistling noises transformed into whispers, and I opened my eyes. I took a moment to imbibe my surroundings, and then refocused my attention on Maya, who was introducing herself to an eerie looking man.

It was a large room, and royal purple curtains hung from corner to corner. A small light illuminated our surroundings from high above and when I looked down, I chuckled to find that the carpet was of matching color.

_Velvet Room huh? At least it does its name justice._

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the old man greeted enthusiastically. "This is where the different forms of people's hearts are called to awaken…" He bowed his head slightly. "By order of our Master Philemon, we have been awaiting you. My name is Igor."

"I am Belladonna," a woman from behind sang out. When I caught sight of her, I almost shuddered.

_ She looks like Frankenstein's wife...Didn't expect that one._

I stifled a smile at the thought.

"I sing for those who challenge," she continued, "the monster known as oneself."

Belladonna turned her head to the man next to her. He was playing the piano profoundly and beautifully. I realized that the wash that had overcome me when first entering had been his music after all, and not the whispers and whistling I had heard from before.

_Such a gorgeous melody._

After a moment of listening, I paid attention to the man at the seat, and realized that his eyes were covered with a navy blue piece of cloth. I squinted at him.

_ Is he blind?_

"I am Nameless…" he announced, though he never broke the beat of his song, "the piano player who opens the closed door of the heart…"

"I am the Demon Artist," we jolted our heads around to see a long haired, laid-back man sporting a beanie and sunglasses. I realized that he was in front of an easel. He was painting, and the brush he held in his hand had been dipped in black. "I am the artist who draws the gods and demons that dwell within people."

I directed my gaze back toward Igor.

_ Who **are** all these people?_

"This is incredible..." I heard Ulala breathe, and she turned in a slow circle around the room to take everything in.

"We are told to assist the awakening of your new hearts—your new Personas. I am very glad to make your acquaintance…" Igor bowed, his hand across his lower belly.

"Followers of Philemon…?" I asked myself. It took me a moment to digest my thoughts, and my hand rested on the bottom of my chin. "Then, that was not a dream at all…" Memories drifted back to me of my childhood—back to when Tatsuya and I were younger. Festivals at Araya shrine, my mother and father, high school, and my original idealized career. "I remember dreaming about this as a kid…A golden butterfly…Masked man…Blue room…" It all had a connection, I realized, "The night I played Persona with Tatsuya." I tore my gaze away from the room and its inhabitants and forced a glower on the wiretapper. More quietly, I added, "But how did Baofu know about this place?"

I had no objection to Maya's choices of "new Persona," as Igor had called them. She looked through our small stack of tarot cards that we had collected back at Seven Sisters and pulled out a few from every category. Then, she handed them to Igor, who eagerly wrapped his wizened fingers around them, and mumbled something to her that I couldn't quite hear. Then, hands still clutching his prize, he stood up and walked to the center of the room.

"Are you sure that this is what you want?" he asked, looking back at her.

"Yes."

"Then allow me to awaken the souls of those deep in slumber!" Raising his long arms over his head, the room was filled with an instant glow, bright and blinding. I closed my eyes and shielded my face with my arms.

_ What on earth is he doing?_

I fought to resist the sudden gust of wind that overtook me, the gust beating against my ears deafeningly. I felt my temples begin to pulse in rhythm of the wind, and a slow headache was coming on. Scrunching my eyes shut even tighter, and wrapping my arms around my face even more, I wondered if the others felt just as I did.

…With the exception of Baofu, I realized, who must've known that this was coming.

_ What a strange man…_

My ears continued to be pained by the relentless roar and chills surged down my spine. My body became intoxicated by a sudden heat wave filling within it.

_ This is…Persona resonance? Helios is reacting to it. So…this is the Velvet Room after all…_

"Summoned ones, come hither," I thought I made out of Igor's words once the wind had died down and I was able to see through the gap in between my arms. "Ryume, Kimnara, Pixie, and Robin Goodfellow, obey those who ask to tame you."

The souls of several demons hovered above Maya, whispering in strange languages that left me befuddled. She seemed, however to understand them, and gave a welcoming smile. Igor turned, holding up four cards, and, just as soon as they had come, the souls were gone. The old man refocused his attention on Maya, patting her hand, and gave her the cards that beheld the four beasts.

"Never fall to the demons," he whispered, but loud enough for me to hear. She mumbled something back, and left him standing there.

\/\/\/

We walked outside and Maya turned to look at Ulala.

"Wait," she halted and spun around on one foot, "wasn't the chief talking about Rumormongers?"

Ulala shrugged.

"I never heard him mention any."

"I know of a place where Rumormongers are frequent visitors," Baofu scratched his chin. "But…are you sure we have time for that? We need to get over to the sanitarium."

"Well…now that we know that rumors can become reality, it's really caught my curiosity. I mean…can _everything_ become a reality?" Maya explained.

"Why would you want to know?" But the look on Maya's face made Baofu sigh exasperatedly and he turned to light a cigarette. "Dunno what you wanna prove anyway..."

I frowned. His disgusting habit annoyed me now that I realized Baofu smoked like a freight train.

_ …You can't say anything, though, Suou. __**You're**__ still overcoming the urge to smoke one yourself. _I looked away and pretended to cough.

Yes, unfortunately, I was a victim of that addiction, too.

"It's over at the Lotus Plaza in Rengedai Ward. Have you heard of Gatten Sushi?" Baofu's mouth twitched, as though he regretted the information he was disclosing.

"I have," Maya answered immediately. "I did an interview with them once."

"Then, you want to collect some rumors?" I inquired.

"Yeah," she nodded her head. "I just need to get used to this rumor thing, I suppose."

_ You? What about the rest of us?_

The walk back to the ward would've been quite exhausting, considering that we had already walked from Rengedai to Aoba. Baofu announced that his black sedan was around the corner. Since Maya and Ulala had taken the bus and Ikeda had driven off in the only means back to my own car, we were more than happy to take him up on his offer. The girls hopped in the back seat, while I took to the messy passenger seat. Baofu rolled down his car window, lit yet another cigarette, and allowed a gray haze to fill the inside of the car. We all coughed, but the protestation went unnoticed as he drove through Aoba Ward to Rengedai.

It seemed to take forever to get to Gatten Sushi, and it wasn't the most pleasant driving experience, due to Baofu's constant negative remarks about everything, his obscene amount of smoking, and his road rage. Above all else, he was conceited and opinionated. No one could say one word about anything that happened at Seven Sisters without receiving, 'what the hell were you thinking? You should've done this…' or 'that was a pretty stupid thing to do. I would've…'

_ What is his **problem,** anyway?_

I scoffed and continued to glare at Baofu, whom I had acquired an _extreme _dislike for just in the short few hours I had known him. It was wrong, and I had always tried made it a habit to not to judge people before getting to know them, but this was ridiculous. I admitted that his entire unique apparel had caught me off guard when I first met him, and his nonchalant attitude over a cigarette made him out to be quite the character. But glaring constantly was all I could do to substitute myself from wrapping my fingers around his neck. His backseat comments had begun to take its toll. Even toward me, he sneered and made a remark about the police force.

"So, Suou..." his obnoxious grin made me realize that something _horrible_ was coming in my direction. "Got kicked off the case, huh? Didn't kiss the chief's ass the right way?"

_ Was he **trying** to anger me?_

I was so infuriated, I don't even remember what I retorted with.

I was relieved when we finally parked and entered through the large bamboo-made doors. Maya wasted no time and went straight for a professional looking heavyset man who was putting away fish fin that almost looked heavier than he. From his unshaven appearance, and the large indentation that was in the stool he sat upon, it was evident that he hadn't moved for a while.

"Excuse me," Maya tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" he spun around, still holding the fish. Food sprayed everywhere as he began to talk and Maya defensively held up her hands to block the oncoming particles of fish. He leaned back and swallowed. A large portion of food could be seen moving fluidly down his throat. I whirled away, disgusted. "Ah, I tell you," he ripped another piece of meat from the fish. "Fish fin is the best. You should try some. You want some? I can't pay for yours, but you should have some."

"Uh," she shook her head, "That's all right. I was going to ask if you were a Rumormonger, actually—"  
"Yeah, I am, but I don't have any info right now. Come back later. I'll be eating fish fin."

I shook my head and narrowed my eyes at the tremendous amount of time that we had just wasted.

_ Yes, I'm sure you're **always** eating fish fin._

"You sure you don't want any fish fin? It's good. I order it every time I come here. This guy is a really great cook. The fish fin is like a piece of heaven."

Maya's face lowered and seemed as though she was contemplating. She looked back and forth from the food in his hand to the cook himself.

_ Surely, she's not **really** thinking of **eating** that— _

"As a matter of fact," she grinned, "I _will_ have some. Excuse me!" she called to the back. "Can I have a large order of fish fin?"

I watched her pay and receive her prize while my mouth fell agape. She walked over, delicately holding the paper tub in her hands, and then began to carefully pick off parts of her food with chopsticks.

"I'm surprised that you would go for sushi at this time of day," I remarked, gazing down at her food. "Do you reporters have that good of a salary?"

"Here," she ignored my remark and handed me a piece using her chopsticks, "It's good. Try it."

I rolled my eyes and took it. Stuffing it into my mouth, I looked back at her, annoyed.

"Well?" Maya smiled.

I was about to tell her that it was a waste of money until the food hit my taste buds and the skin tingled against my palate.

_ Hey…the cook here isn't that bad…This is actually worth eating._

I swallowed and glanced back down at her food.

"What?" she asked, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

I continued to move my eyes back and forth, fighting with myself.

_ Buy it! Don't buy it! No, **buy** it!_

"Hey, wait a minute," I told Maya, brushing past her.

"What? What is it?" She followed me over to the counter, eyes worried, "Are you allergic? Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!"

Everyone was watching us in the small restaurant now, including the cook.

"May I help you?" his brows furrowed together worriedly and he said the words slowly.

I spun back to Maya, stammering, "Do you…uh…Could you…"

"What?" she asked, eying me suspiciously. "What's wrong?"

"You know, it's actually pretty good. Uh, what was it called again?"

She beamed, relieved that nothing had been wrong after all, "Fish fin."

Ulala giggled and Baofu called out from his corner in the store, impatiently, "This _isn't_ the time to be on a picnic people! We're supposed to be going _somewhere else,_ remember?"

"Hold on," I said, holding up a hand. "Give me just a moment."

He grumbled and slapped himself in the forehead. I felt _that_ much better. Yes, it was wasting time _and_ money. But it pissed off Baofu? I'd _take _it! Ha, ha!

\/\/\/

"I can't _believe_ you'd actually spend money on that nasty stuff!" Baofu stared at the food in my hands, bitterly.

"You should've gotten some too," I said, swallowing the last of my fish. "It's great."

"I wouldn't waste my money."

_That's right, Baofu. Your Breakfast of Champions consists of cigarettes and whiskey._

Shrugging, I replied, "Suit yourself."

I looked over at Maya, who was finishing up her meal. After I had purchased mine, Baofu pushed us out the door and demanded that we eat our "smelly" fish before climbing in his wonder-mobile.

_His car is already messy, gross, and reeks of cigarettes. Fish seems to be an addition to the décor._

At least he was still angry, and after all the grief he had given us earlier, I was pleased that it had been me who had gotten the chance to strike back.

Wiping my hands on the napkins the cook had given us, I tossed the remains into a trash can on the sidewalk before we all climbed back into the wiretapper's car. Baofu played the part of the tour guide, and let us know when our turnoff was coming up. Sardonically, I was waiting for him to break out into a historical lecture about the foundation of Sumaru in all of its glory.

Arriving at the road that led down to the sanitarium, Baofu caught glimpse of a shady looking security guard blocking the way. He was tall and had a body in the shape of a large rectangle, as though he were nothing more than a cut-out piece of cardboard. He had quite the chiseled chin and no neck to connect his head to his shoulders. The guard's arms were held securely behind his back, and I was surprised at how much of the road he took up.

I saw Baofu chew on his bottom lip in frustration, and he slowed the car to a complete stop.

"Just a minute," he whispered as he opened the door, unbuckled his seat belt, and stepped out.

In case there was need of an officer, I did the same.

We all watched as the long-haired man stared at the mannequin-looking guard and tried to sidestep around him. The guard took a wide step in front of Baofu, who tried to weave his way around him again, but the guard simply pushed him back.

"Hey, what's the deal?" Baofu slapped the man's arms from off of him.

"There's been an accident up ahead," the guard replied, sternly. "Nothing to see here. Move along."

"Accident?" I questioned, eyebrows lifting. I walked toward the two, "Have you contacted the police?"

"Not yet," he admitted, shaking his head, "it just happened." Suddenly, he thrust his arms out and began walking forward, ushering us both off, "Now move along!"

It was obvious that we were getting nowhere.

"…There's nothing we can do…" I whispered to Baofu. Then I turned and said a little louder, "I understand. Thank you."

Pivoting around, we returned to the car and Baofu climbed back into the driver's seat.

He buckled up, started the car, and muttered lowly, "Asshole," before speeding away.

After we had driven back up the block, I focused my eyes to Baofu, who appeared lost in thought.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

I half expected him to shout something at me, or to say nothing at all. But I was amazed when all he said was, "This is suspicious…" He scratched his chin and slowed the car down. Parking it at the top of a reclusive hill, he added, "There's another road—down at the bottom of this hill here. It's longer, but it leads to the back."

I nodded, "All right. Let's take that."

But he was unbuckling his seat belt and climbing out of the car. I lifted an eyebrow, confused.

"Good, but we can't take the car down there. We'll have to walk to the sanitarium."

Ulala groaned, Maya puffed out her cheeks, and I readjusted my glasses.

I was so damn tired of walking.

\/\/\/

It wasn't the easiest trip, as the hill was extremely steep, and the brush was thick and overgrown. Mt. Mifune itself was dark and misty, as though some evil presence lurked around the area. It was cold, and I realized that in my uncomfortable state, my hand was gripping the butt of my gun. There was no one around save the four of us, and that made me just as uneasy. In the back of my mind, I had the unsettling feeling that we were being watched. The forest felt as though a cloud had settled in on the area, and with the trees being so high up, it appeared impossible for any real light to shine through.

_ Could this be the result of it being so close to such a place as the sanitarium? No, no, it **is** almost dusk after all. After this trip to the sanitarium, it's going to be dark. I wonder what will happen then?_

Even the animals had been cleared out. Maybe the demons had scared them away, but there was no way of telling. I frowned. If the demons _were_ moving so close to Sumaru city, what was going to happen? Would they invade? Could we stop them if they did? Did we even know _how?_

Craning my head heavenwards, I stared at the large clump of trees surrounding us. Even if there _was_ a gap in between them, the sky was _still_ blanketed in a thick, stagnant cloud of haze.

_Yup. No light here._

The forest path was easy to maneuver once we got down at the very bottom. It became evident that there had been frequent travelers in its time, but had begun to recently become overgrown by weeds and tall blades of grass. Occasionally, the path would temporarily disappear under the shrubbery and overgrowth, forcing us to swim through it to the other side.

A while or so into our forest endeavor, Ulala pointed out that she could hear a river running nearby.

But it appeared that we weren't out of the woods just yet.

Before we were able to reach the river, two aggressive creatures jumped out from behind a pair of bushes. I couldn't quite see them, but a blaze of bullets grazed my shoulder and arm, and I fell into a roll that led me behind a tree.

"Down with the world!" I heard one of them shout, and it continued to fire its gun at us. "Burn to ashes!"

I ignored the pain in my arm, as it wasn't so severe. I had dealt with worse during my time on the force. Butt glued to the ground, and back against the tree, I found myself furtively peeking out at what had assaulted us.

Two humanoid figures slowly made their way down toward the river, their legs sluggish and almost limp, as though they had no joints to allow them to walk properly. I squinted my eyes, and upon further inspection, I saw the large gashes in their faces and other parts of their bodies. Black liquid was pouring from their open mouths, down their chins, and onto the tattered clothes they were wearing. Their eyes appeared unfocused.

_They don't appear to be humans. Demons maybe? Or...zombies?_

Zombies? Of _all_ the sci-fi horror monsters that we could be encountering, _zombies?_ No, I _couldn't_ believe it...

_But after everything that's happened today, it sure as hell adds up, doesn't it, Suou? You're a Persona user, rumors can become reality, and that's a zombie you're fighting. End of story. _

"Persona!" the surroundings of the forest were illuminated with Baofu's Odysseus, the Persona raising a hand and summoning a spell.

"Maha Garu!" Odysseus called forth, and the violent typhoon was enough to send us all flying, had it not been for the protection of our own Personas. A single zombie plummeted into the river and we diverted our attention from it momentarily.

"Let's try a fusion spell," Ulala suggested.

"Which one?" I heard Maya asked.

"It doesn't matter," the redhead waved her off. "Let's just use one, and fast!"

She nodded. I knew I had to get back into the game. My eyes watched as Maya dodged ballistic rounds from the zombie's rifle, and she counterattacked with her guns, spinning back on her heels. I took a deep breath, counted quickly to three, and jumped to my feet. Rushing back out into the heat of battle, I turned to Ulala.

"Tower Inferno?" I asked, remembering how we defeated the demons back at Seven Sisters.

"I don't think it's important!" Baofu cut in angrily, unaware of the second oncoming zombie behind him.

"H-Hey!" Ulala cried and pointed, "Look out!"

He whirled around.

"Kamikaze Charge! _Die_!"

There was a large explosion that rendered me nearly deaf. I could feel the comfort of my Persona surround me, but it didn't stop me from shielding my eyes from the blinding light anyway. The wind was already enough to blow me away. Chunks of debris were hurled around me, and I could only catch a faint whirl, followed by a sudden crash. When it was all over, I heard Ulala scream.

My eyes shot open and the warmth of my Persona had vanished. The zombie was dead, but Baofu was badly injured, lying on the ground with a faint Persona aura embracing him.

"Son of a—" and then he gagged.

"He's right," I said quickly. "It doesn't matter." I caught sight of the zombie pulling itself out from the river. "Miss Serizawa! Behind you!"

"I'm on it!" She thrust a hand to the sky, "Persona!"

Callisto glittered brightly above the fiery redhead, arms out wide.

"Zan!" the Persona called forth, electrocuting the zombie before her. Volts surged up and down its body, and fed out through its limbs at such an accelerating speed, it blinded me. During its daze and confusion, Maya took the reins.

"Okay, _now!_" Maya outstretched her arm, "Persona!"

"Persona!" I called out next.

"Persona, come forth!" finished Ulala.

Our Personas joined together, forming one of our newest fusion spells that Maya and Ulala had both agreed on naming 'Atomic Destruction.' I prayed hard that the fusion attack lived up to its intimidating name and would render our enemy dead. My eyes caught the luminosity above us, and I could feel the tremendous power rush through my body. The weight of it nearly pushed me to the ground. I struggled to hold my composure for the spell, concentrating hard on the synchronization of the Personas with each other. Trying my hardest to blot out the rest of the sounds in the world, I found myself listening to the heartbeat of Helios, and the words of Maia and Callisto speaking to each other.

The feeling was amazing—beyond words—and I'd never be able to describe it with the justice it deserved to any normal human being.

The crash intensified the more the trio of Personas joined together, and the body of the zombie burst into an immeasurable number of pieces as the blaze overwhelmed the area, and whatever had been in its path was decimated. It took a bit of time to bring my mind back into its own body after the explosion and wind had settled. I staggered a bit, dizzy from the over-usage of my Persona, and I nearly lost my balance. Maya had already collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, but Ulala was stronger than the two of us, and she rushed to help Baofu sit up, but he pushed her back.

"Don't touch me," he snapped and then winced in pain. "Dammit…He got me bad."

"Well, what are you going to do?" I asked, annoyed at his behavior while Ulala remained worried. "Sit there all day? As Ms. Serizawa said earlier, there's a river up ahead. We'll rest there."

He grumbled and finally allowed us to help him to the river, Ulala bracing him from under his arm. I could see blood pouring from his head and lower waist—no doubt he was hurt as bad as he made himself out to be. He hobbled forward and she helped him down the hill as I took his other arm, placed it around my neck, and guided them both to a nearby rock. Ulala immediately volunteered to tend to the patient. I had no reason to object, as I was not doctor material anyhow. And since we had the chance to take a break, I decided to make the best of it and walk ahead to observe.

There was a bridge—a very pristine one. Judging from the texture, it was brand new, probably built no longer than a few months ago. But since it still appeared new, I realized that no one hardly ever came down this far. At least…probably not since the demons had begun to inhabit the forest and turn it into a nesting ground.

It was such a pity, if not for them, this would be such a pleasant resting area. Even the small waterfall ahead added to the beautiful landscape. It cascaded over the protruding boulders within the hillside perfectly, as though it had always been there. The sound of water crashing into the river below seemed to be the only natural thing around this place, since the demons had cleared out the other creatures that had lived here.

Even the setting of the trees no longer seemed spooky when placed here along the line of the river. The grass was greener, softer, and though it remained long, the graze was far more soothing to look upon than the it had been at the entrance of the forest path. I leaned far over the railing of the bridge to gaze at my near perfect reflection. It was strange that this part of the forest hadn't been tainted by demons. It was like a holy barrier had kept this place untouchable, but that seemed so silly to think about. Nevertheless, it was, indeed, very relaxing.

My ears caught soft footsteps behind me. When I pulled back to stand in a proper position on the bridge, they stopped. Listening to the way the steps had come up, I knew exactly who it was without having to turn around.

"So, this isn't too bad of a resting area, is it?" I asked Maya.

She stood beside me, elbows perched on the rail. "No, it's very pretty." Her smile saddened, "Now only if the demons weren't around."

"Yes," I agreed and looked at her. "So, Miss Amano…uh…" I looked in the back of my mind for something to start up a conversation with. "What's your favorite food?" I blurted out, perhaps, too fast. I could've kicked myself.

_ What's your favorite food? What kind of question is **that**, Suou? We go from talking about demons to favorite food? She's going to think you're weird. And it's probably just deserved._

I was amazed when she appeared oblivious to the silly subject change. "Me?" She looked up, thoughtfully, "I personally like crab."

I was thankful she had decided to answer the question instead of giving me a weird look. I don't know what I would've done then. Probably walk away and never speak again. "Crab, huh?" I went along with it as though my subject change was natural as well, "Yeah, I like crab too." I noticed I was fidgeting.

_ Guess who's **not** a master of conversation._

The atmosphere suddenly changed and it sent chills up my back. I was disappointed when I realized that my subject change _hadn't_ worked after all.

"What do you think we'll find when we get there?" she asked, her voice dropping to match the dismal new feeling. I felt my stomach drop when I realized that this place really wasn't safe from the crawling aura of demons after all. "What about that accident?" she added.

I hadn't stopped to think about it, personally. It was odd, really, being such a worrier, but I had other things on my mind, like the Persona, Philemon, the Velvet Room, and even our strange new accomplice, Baofu.

"I don't know…" it was all I could say because I honestly _didn't_ know. I wanted to make her feel better, but I couldn't say anything. It was then that I suddenly remembered _why_ we were visiting Sudou and all about what Baofu had said earlier—the arson burnings, the murders…

_ That arson burning ten years ago…Was it **really** Sudou? Was he the one responsible for father's…_

Realizing now that I had completely forgotten about it, I couldn't help but feel ashamed. There was just so much to be done, but I could never forget what had happened to my father.

_ Had I truly forgotten why I had come here in the first place? After all that I had done up to this point?_

I turned away from her, thoughts drifting to my family. _That's right. Baofu __**had**__ said that Sudou was responsible._

"Katsuya?" Maya put a delicate hand on my shoulder, "Are you worried too?"

I shook my head and walked across the bridge, her hand falling away from me, and I shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Don't worry about me," I said, doing the best that I could at being nonchalant. "I'll be fine."

But I _wasn't_ okay. The dream was really getting to me. The fire, Tatsuya's blood on my hands, and the girl 'Maya' who was left to burn in the shrine.

But was it the same Maya?

With all of these strange coincidences, imagine my surprise if it was.

Looking back at the raven-haired woman, whose eyes were back out to the rushing river, I felt silly, and yet not.

_Don't discount anything, Suou. Not just yet._

\/\/\/

Har. This chapter was more of a filler than anything, but the next one is much longer. Please let me know what you think, but, ya know, without telling me I'm a "n00b" or a "m00b" or something. XD

ML


	6. The Oracle of Maia

**Disclaimer:** I own me. And me doesn't own Persona. So :-P

**A/N:** Blah. I split this chapter in half cuz it was too long. For some reason, my computer's been icon jumping on my word documents/internet/and other things that require typing. I tried to catch all of the spelling and grammatical errors, courtesy of my stupid icon jumping problem, but if a sentence stands out that doesn't make sense to you, please let me know so I can change it. I'm still trying to figure this problem out.

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Chapter Five**

**The Oracle of Maia**

**\/\/\/**

The rest of the trip was spent in silence, especially with me. My mind continued to drift elsewhere.

_ If it's true that Tatsuzou and his son were behind the murders all those years ago…What about the Joker? How is he related to the arson murders? Who __**is**__ the "Old Maid?" _

My eyebrows furrowed together.

_ And my brother…Is he all right?_

My brother…

Not to mention, my brother had taken part in that dream of the burning Araya shrine. His blood, cries, and shaking all sent shivers up my spine.

_ "She's dead!"_

She?

_ "Maya's dead!"_

Maya…?

_ You mean…_

My eyes wandered to the ebony haired woman, who was busy consoling the dazed Ulala.

_ …Miss Amano?_

"Hey, Suou! Snap out of it!"

I turned to look at Baofu, who looked quite upset. He was still favoring his leg that had been injured in the previous battle. I assumed that that was where most of his anger was directed at, but I happened to be in the way, making me the weakest link. Even after I moved out of his line of sight, I still couldn't help but feel his eyes glowering at me from behind those dark spectacles of his.

"Sorry," I muttered, only half attentive.

"Pay more attention. I've been calling to you for the last minute or so." Baofu looked straight ahead, "We're there."

"Huh?"

_ Where?_

The large, white structure before me brought back recent memories at Parabellum, "Oh yeah, the sanitarium."

Ulala eyed me from behind, "What's wrong, Detective? You've been a real space cadet ever since we stopped at the river. What's eatin' you?"

I shook my head quickly, "Nothing. Come on." Starting ahead of them, I reached for my gun, "Let's go inside."

I took precautions before opening the door. When I realized that everyone was waiting for me, I nodded and pushed at the door. After I was satisfied by the welcoming silence, my companions and I proceeded to move in.

Nothing was out of the ordinary from what I could see. My eyes moved from one wall to the next, keeping in step with everyone else until a large gasp from Ulala brought my attention to the floor. Several feet before me lay two dead bodies, blood redecorating the floor. I was taken aback by the sight temporarily, not quite expecting the sudden revelation. Baofu and Maya closed the gap behind me, but Ulala's paralysis was too strong, and, not able to hold her own weight any longer, collapsed to her knees.

"Aaaahhhhh!" she screamed, holding her hands to her head. "A...Another dead person!"

Baofu looked at her and then stepped around to the front. "Don't make such a loud fuss," he frowned.

Catching a glimpse of him from out of the corner of my eye, I wondered how he could be so calm unless he was used to seeing this kind of dilemma from other occasions.

Disregarding the thought, I immediately began to take action, inspecting one of the bodies while Maya and Baofu guarded the doors ahead of us in case of an unexpected attack. I didn't ask the fiery redhead to do anything, seeing as she already had her hands full dealing with her own fears.

"They're not ordinary," I observed. "They're all armed." I sought for the name in the back of my mind before forming the word, "Kuroboshi…" Playing the coroner, my mind began to act before I could fully understand the situation myself, "Fired off all rounds…Cuts, stab wounds, bruises, internal injuries…" _This is __**not**__ the work of humans… _"They tried, but got killed by...well, demons is my best guess." Standing to my feet I turned my attention to my companions, "Guess that about sums it up. They're not Japanese."

"It's the Tien Tao Lien…" Baofu clarified, as though he had known all along. "The Taiwanese Mafia. I recognize one of the faces…"

_ Yes, that's right. Baofu mentioned some time ago to Ulala that he was from Taiwan._

"Your buddies…?" I asked, meaning no harm.

He immediately became defensive, as though thinking I had intended to insult him, and spat, "Say that again and I'll put a hole in your face."

I hadn't expected that reaction from him. I continued to face him, saying nothing. It wasn't because I was afraid of him, but because Maya took the opportunity before I could.

"S...Stop it Baofu…" Maya gave him a hard glare, but I could tell that it was because she was trying hard not to be scared.

"Ch…" He shoved his hands into his pockets, but said nothing more about it. Instead, he changed the subject, "These are dogs of Tatsuzou. He's been on good terms with them for five years when he was the Minister of Justice."

"…Wait a second," I waved my hand to time him out. "Why would Tatsuzou and the Mafia attack the very sanitarium his own son was in?"

"How should I know?" he snapped at me. I was growing weary with his hostile attitude.

_ He acts as though he has something against me...as if __**I **__should know what __**that**__ is._

"We came to find that out," he added.

I sighed and craned my head heavenwards, "Demons, murderers, and now the Mafia…" I mumbled, almost below audibility, "Is this still Japan here?" Shaking my head, I breathed, "I can't understand it at all…"

"Are you sure you want to go on?" Baofu looked at Maya. "It's gonna get rough from here on. This is your last chance to turn back."

"We came to find out the same thing as you," she protested, still trying to cover up the fear in her voice. "There's no way I'm turning back now."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "Let's get going." He turned to look at Ulala, "Hey, Serizawa! Stop being such a baby and get off the floor or we'll leave you behind."

"Ma-ya wouldn't leave me behind!" she shouted at him, standing up almost immediately.

I sighed and followed behind the others to the door.

"Let's try to find survivors," I suggested.

"Fine," Baofu agreed. "We'll do that along the way."

\/\/\/

Every door was locked on the first floor, so searching for survivors was made to be almost entirely impossible. I started to bang on a few, but was stopped by the wiretapper, who found that to be more efficient in attracting demons than helping the survivors. He also assured us that if anyone had been left, they would've probably escaped…or died trying. As things were, the thought seemed plausible, but it didn't make me feel any better.

Several times I had found myself watching out for any of my police colleagues. If they _had_ been notified, it wouldn't be long until I came face to face with Shimazu. That was both a good and bad thing. If he finally caught sight of the demons for himself, perhaps he would believe me. Then again, he was a very stubborn man. There was never any telling of what _truly_ went through his mind. Sometimes it would anger me, especially with his earlier retort about my father.

My father resigning from the academy was a well known fact and there was no secret behind it…or so the others thought. It was one of the reasons I joined the force in the first place. I knew my father almost better than anyone and bribery just wasn't one of his traits.

_ I just wish Tatsuya would've known that before he turned his back on father and I…_

I didn't want to blame my family for not helping. My younger brother became completely rebellious after my father had been incarcerated, pulling away from me and my mother. And no matter how much I loved my mother, she just wasn't as devoted as I to finding out the truth.

_ She __**must**__ know that my father is not capable of such things…right? _

But father was persistent in keeping to his testimony and would not budge for anyone.

_ Was this honestly all up to me to find out what __**really**__ happened?_

Either way, it didn't solve my current problem. Things just kept spiraling out of control left and right. Persona, Philemon, Joker, and the "Old Maid" cases. Now, was Tatsuya Sudou going to become a part of that equation? There were just so many things I didn't understand.

Baofu took charge in furtively finding out which doorknobs were locked, and which were open. He kept reading the nameplates above them, and then finally reached around the corner for a doorknob. He jiggled it as quietly as he could. "I think it's unlocked," he announced, staring up at the metal sign which hung from the top.

"Let me in first," I told him, nearly pushing him aside. "If there's anyone inside, it's my job to handle the situation."

"You're an idiot, you know that? If the enemy is _really_ in there, you think he'll just let you arrest him?" I held my hand on the handle, but my eyes did not meet Baofu's, "Don't be such a stupid cop. This isn't about the law anymore." He held his arms out, gesturing at the bloodstained walls, "You think the _demons_ care about the police force? This is another matter here, Suou. Stop trying to be the police hero, or have you not already realized that you can't depend on the cops?"

The two women from behind me were taken aback by Baofu's strong words, but, surprisingly, I was able to keep my head. "This has nothing to do with the police, Baofu," I said, still staring straight ahead at the door. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to make yourself so big at my expense."

I withdrew my gun, held it close to me, and prepared to extend it to whomever lay in wait from within.

As I turned the doorknob, Baofu whispered, "Wooo, big man, Suou."

My back was to him so he couldn't see me rolling my eyes. I pushed myself through the door, my comrades falling in behind me. I caught sight of a moving figure in the corner and immediately redirected my gun to the shadow.

"Please! Don't shoot!" wailed a nurse as she cowered further against the wall.

Sighing with relief, I lowered my gun and motioned everyone inside.

"Who is it?" Ulala asked.

"A nurse." I turned my attention back to the shaken woman, "Are you all right, Miss?"

She gave a slow nod. "Y…You're a…hu…man…right?"

"Yes," I answered, taking control of the situation. "Can you please tell us what happened? Who did this? Do you know where they wen—"

I did not have enough time to prepare myself as she flung herself at me, clinging to my dark jacket.

"P-P-P…Please save me!" Her words became absorbed into the fabric of my coat as she cried, "Demons…Demons have appeared!…_He_ did it…_He_ called the demons…"

"_He_ called them?" I blinked. "Ma'am, please, can you tell me who _he_ is?"

She managed to calm down long enough to tell me, "The patient in Room 303…" Her calm demeanor didn't last as she suddenly burst out into violent sobs, "Tatsuya Sudou summoned the demons! The demons attacked my patients and my co-workers…It's no lie!"

"T-The demons did this?" Ulala glanced back and forth from Maya to me.

Upon hearing her voice, the nurse tore herself away from me and fell entirely to the floor, holding herself up only with her hands. Her abnormally pale face rose heavenwards, eyes on Ulala. "You saw them too, right! All those corpses!"

As though remembering something that she did not want to, the nurse fell apart before us, weeping into her hands. Ulala rushed to her side, taking the sobbing woman into her arms.

Maya seemed tempted to help her friend with the nurse, but I told her that it seemed that Miss Serizawa had it all under control.

"Too many people at one time could send her into an even more extreme state of fright," I whispered to Maya. She turned to Baofu, who was lighting a cigarette in the corner, and didn't seem to care either way. "That nurse seems to be very confused," I added, "but, considering this horrible condition…" it was indeed a difficult situation to believe, "...everything must be true."

"Just stay here," I heard Ulala tell the nurse, patting her soothingly. "We'll find the guy who did this, I promise. Don't move, okay?"

The nurse nodded slightly and scrunched herself further into the corner that she had crawled back to.

"Let's continue on," Baofu said, sidestepping outside the door.

"Do you think she'll be okay, Ma-ya?" Ulala asked her friend as soon as we were down the hall.

"I hope so," Maya's voice fell. "As long as she stays in there, she should be fine. I doubt that that bag man is after her."

We hadn't gotten far before I realized that we had come to the three-digit corridor.

_ 303…Patient Tatsuya Sudou…That's the reason we're here in the first place. _

My eyes wandered back and forth like I was watching a ping-pong match, catching the numbers on every door. I was so intently focused that I hadn't even realize I was falling behind. Maya and Ulala were chatting about something, but it hadn't caught my attention as to what.

_ It doesn't matter anyway. Until we can find… _

I looked up at the next door number on our right and recognized it.

"Wait, Miss Amano," I called out. She backtracked and gazed from me to the door. "'Tatsuya Sudou,'" I read. "This must be Sudou's son's room. Let's investigate it."

"Right," she agreed. "Maybe we'll get some clues in there."

"Hey," Ulala attached herself to her friend's arm. "D-Do you think he's still in there?"

From behind, Baofu chuckled, "Only one way to find out. Would you like to open the door first?"

Ulala whirled around, her face plastered in disbelief.

_ This is getting old._

"I'll go first," I told him, my voice catching a bit of irritation. "This is my job anyway."

"Your _job_ again, Suou?" Baofu looked at his dead cigarette and tossed it away into the hall. I was just about to let into him about his crude habit of littering when he added, "That's a ridiculous seam you knit on. Why don't you just learn to think for yourself?"

"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it." Turning my head, I readied my gun, pushing myself against the door.

_ That guy has an attitude problem. I can't believe I'm having trouble containing my anger. It's unlike me. _

I threw myself into the room, directing my gun in front of me before moving inside.

_ Nothing here but an empty bed, boorish drawings, and newspaper articles._

The interior lay in silence with no movement. It would've been hard to hide under the bed, given its grounded surface. I spun around to eye the back of the door, which was also vacant.

_ Something about this room bothers me._

Dust coated the dreary colored walls, along with bizarre writing, which also made appearances in separate sections of the floor. Everything about this room was eerie, but the one thing that made my blood run cold was the large, thick scribble of an eye above Sudou's bed.

Sudou himself didn't appear to be anywhere in sight.

I motioned for Maya to come in, who was followed by Baofu. Lastly, an uneasy Ulala padded in. I knelt down by the writing scrawled on the floor.

"What…is…this?" I asked to no one in particular.

_ It appears to be a poem._

Coming to the conclusion that the writer's taste in poetry was too obscure for my liking, I pushed myself to my feet and turned towards the pictures and newspaper clippings.

Folding my arms, I leaned in closer to catch some of the names written in the corners and those written in big, bold print on the articles.

I felt my eye twitch and my lips purse together.

_ T-These people…I've seen these names before…_

I heard shuffling from behind me, and I turned my head. My companions had taken notice of the writing on the opposite wall. Ulala was mesmerized by the large, black eye.

"What the…?" I heard Maya breathe.

"These pictures on the wall…" I brought up a finger to point at the newspaper clippings, "They're all victims of the serial murderers…" _That's it…That's the connection..._ "It seems that Sudou's son really _is_ the 'Old Maid.'" I scanned over each picture individually, trying to capture the feeling of their absence in life, their deaths, and, perhaps, the motives of each killing.

_ But I can't quite put my finger on it. So, if __**he's**__ the Joker, how was he able to sneak in and out of the sanitarium to commit all of these crimes? Some of these are even recent photos…_

"What's wrong Amano?" Baofu looked at Maya's face. I quickly turned around. "You look pale. Something wrong with that weird poem thing?"

She did not reply, which was very unusual. She was not a silent person, I had quickly discovered.

_ Whatever it is, she must be taking it to heart._

I walked up behind her and read the title of the poem aloud.

"'Oracle of Maia?'" I arched an eyebrow and thought to myself a moment. I had never heard of such a thing, and my eyes locked in on the word 'Maia.' Baofu decided to continue reading since I had stopped.

"The twinkling star of Pleiades sets time in motion: Dance of pleasure, Feast of shadow, Tongue of stranger, Atonement lights above. The lion's roar echoes throughout. The five skulls shine in Hades. The holy cross shines in the Heavens. The moment the stars stop rising. The beat of the virgin Maia also ceases. Paradise remains on earth." Baofu turned to look at us, "What does all of that crap mean…?"

I squinted ahead further. Something else was written at the very bottom.

_ And time winds backwards… _

"Heaven's Cross…" I whispered to myself. "Isn't this referring to the 'Grand Cross' that occurred this summer? Is this supposed to be some sort of prophecy?"

"You mean where all the planets in the solar system aligned in a cross formation…?" Ulala asked and then shook her head. "But nothing happened…"

Without warning, Maya suddenly collapsed to her knees. I found myself by her side in an instant and knelt down to put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Miss Amano?" I asked.

Ulala crouched down on the other side of her and leaned in close. Maya's face was knotted in anguish and she was clutching her chest fiercely.

"Does your chest hurt again, Ma-ya?" she asked, just as worried as I. I jerked my head around to face Ulala.

"Again…?" I quirked an eyebrow.

Ulala held her own hands against Maya's and explained, "After running into Déjà Vu Boy, she got this mysterious bruise that nags her…" Her face softened, "She doesn't know how she got it…"

"No, Ulala, it's all right," Maya struggled to speak, but then pulled away and stood up, shaking her head. The two of us stared up at the younger woman, whose eyes were closed, yet seemed as though they were holding in so much pain within them.

I lowered my gaze and slowly arose to my feet, the fiery redhead mirroring my movements. She gave her friend a thorough look over, to which Maya stepped back, refusing the attention.

"Perhaps it's best to take it easy," I argued, softly. Her eyes wandered to me.

"It's nothing," she assured, "I'm fine, really."

"Fine…?" Ulala stared hard at her, obviously skeptical. "You sure about that?"

"Yes," Maya answered quickly. "Honestly." Her hands moved away from her chest. I wasn't sure if she had forced them away or really felt better in her troubled condition.

_No. She's holding back. _

I knew she was lying. But I couldn't coerce her to tell me she needed help. I sighed, but realized that maybe it was something that I couldn't explain. Ulala must've felt the same way I did, because she became angry and scolded Maya for her dishonesty.

_ I understand her concern over Maya, but it's all bizarre nonetheless. There's so much that I don't know. And that dream still bothers me. A burning shrine? The girl named Maya and the bruise on her chest? ...No, that's silly. I'm being absurd._

"This place ain't normal…" Baofu said, shuddering. It managed to distract me for the time being. "This room's vibes can't be trusted. Let's move on."

He and Ulala walked out the door. I stopped to sneak a glance at Maya, who still seemed a little dazed.

"Sudou seemed to know you…" I said to her. "But what about you does he know…?"

She didn't say anything and simply walked out past me. I sighed and followed after.

_ She must still be shaken. It bothers me that she won't tell us what about that poem made her so uneasy._

The stairs to the next floor were only at the other end of the hall, but it seemed too long for me. Watching how the presence of this place affected my companions, it made me want to leave all the more.

_ And find Sudou…Whichever comes first._

Ulala shook Maya's shoulder several times, urging her to talk. But no matter what the redhead did, she would not budge.

As we came closer to the stairs, my heart began to pound louder. I brought my hands up to my dizzy head, a detecting sign that someone was there.

_ This feeling…Just like in the clock tower…! _

Sudou was behind those doors.

"I know you're here, #501!…Sudou!" I held my gun close. "Everyone," I looked directly at Maya, "be careful…"

I headed up the stairs first, slowly, and then motioned my companions to follow. The closer I came to the Director's Office, the harder my heart pounded. I knew he was there. His Persona…resonance…It was calling to me.

_ Sudou…If you're the one who's responsible for what happened… _

"Hold on," Maya stepped in front of me and took the door handle. "Let me go first…"

"_No,_" I whispered harshly, reaching for her wrist.

It was too late.

She swung the door open and walked inside, already reaching for her pistols. Weapon drawn, I angrily fell in step after her. Baofu and Ulala moved in behind, assuming their own offensive stances. _Son of a…_ My eyes watched the back of the ebony haired woman's head. _What is she __**thinking!**__ To jump in first...she could've been killed!_

Maya stopped dead in her tracks, nearly causing a fatal collision with me from behind. I looked ahead to see what had startled her. More bodies were sprawled out on the floor. I could see a deep gash in their chest, their hearts most likely ripped out. My face paled at seeing such a sight.

_ Sudou...are you the monster who did this?_

I slowly turned my head, my attention singling out a man with spiky, beige hair in a black trench coat. He was waving a sword back and forth in front of a mirror.

He did not seem surprised by our sudden presence, nor did he turn around to face us. Instead, he stared at us from within the mirror. "So...You recall the 'Other Side' yet?" he asked.

Maya shook her head, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"I see…" the man smirked, looking back into the mirror at his face with half opened eyelids. He flashed himself a smile, "I feel sorry for that brat."

I couldn't help but scoff at his remark.

_How can he feel "sorry" for anybody?_

Tired of his demeanor, I stepped in front of Maya, pointing a long finger at the man.

"You're Tatsuya Sudou, aren't you?" When he did not answer right away, I continued, "These murders...This rampage in the sanitarium…The killings ten years ago—You did these, didn't you?"

"You mean back then?" Tatsuya laughed it off. "Ah…how nostalgic. The Voices won't let me off with just arson. They said they needed a sacrifice. With the chest all carved out alive…" he made a mock gesture with his sword, "...and the tendons cut so they can't escape." Tatsuya turned, his coat whirling around his body, and walked behind the Director's desk. Smiling, he pointed to Maya with his sword, as though indicating what he would like to do to her, sneered, and then lowered it.

"You piece of shit…" Baofu growled. "How did _you_ get that kind of power being locked up for ten years?"

"'Kotodama, y'know? Kotodama," he said, repeating himself. "Y'know?" Then he laughed again, "You say something, and it'll happen? The Voices tell me anything…" Tatsuya's face suddenly hardened and he turned away. Evidently, he had remembered something spiteful, "That poor excuse for a dad did this to me."

"Kotodama…? The rumors…?" I arched an eyebrow, "You said that your dad did this to you. Then, why is he after your life?"

A ringing phone interrupted our conversation and I damned it. I was hoping to get an answer. I looked at Maya, who turned to Ulala, whose eyes were on Baofu. Tatsuya put a finger to his lips.

"Shhhhhhh…It's from the guys outside."

Baofu spun and pressed his face up to a window leading out to the front entrance of the Morimoto Sanitarium. His face lost all color. I followed his gaze to the lower ground, barely making out the silhouette of a man dressed in white.

Baofu made a noise in the back of his throat and I wasn't sure if he was growling or struggling to speak. It didn't matter, though. He turned and stormed out the door before we could ask what was wrong.

"W-Where are you going!" Ulala shouted after him. He ignored her and continued his mad dash down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Tatsuya had answered the phone and spat into it, "If you're wondering about your men, I've already ripped open their guts." I couldn't help but shoot another glance at the mutilated man just several feet away from me. "I'm free, you got that? 'I'm coming for you, soon!' Give that message to my fucking dad!" He slammed the phone down and I turned away from the dead bodies, glaring hard at him.

"What do you hope to accomplish!" I shouted. "To keep on _killing?_ To get _revenge_ on your father!"

He merely laughed in my face.

"Hyahaha! I used to kill for pleasure, but now I only kill because people give me a call…" he looked directly at Ulala, who was gaping in fear, "...right?"

She paled and took a step backward. Maya twisted her body so that she could see the stumbling redhead. My own eyes could not abolish her staggering form.

_ What is he talking about? What's wrong with Ms. Serizawa?_

Tatsuya grinned and turned back toward me.

"My real purpose is…to right the wrong. 'This Side' is wrong and the 'Other Side' is right." _Is he __**trying**__ to be heroic? What the hell is he talking about?_ "My fucking dad doesn't understand that…" He nodded at Maya, "You understand, don't you?" He seemed almost desperate. If she couldn't understand him…his motives… _What would he do?_

I focused my attention on Maya, her lowered head slowly shaking back and forth.

"I…don't understand anything…" she whispered, nearly on the verge of crying.

I had almost seen it coming. His deepened frown, his steel colored eyes, and even his face budding with the brightest red I had ever seen—I had seen it _all_ coming.

"How _long_ are you gonna keep up this act, ya lying bitch!" he roared, pointing a dangerous finger at Maya. A grotesque beast materialized behind him and I could feel chills run up my spine. _I knew it wasn't going to be this easy to bring him into custody... _"I'll _make_ you remember…" he vowed. I redirected my aim at Sudou, watching as he stepped back away from the desk. "If this guy doesn't eat you first, come to the Sky Museum! Hyahahaha!"

He was surrounded by a black mist which seemed to eat him from the inside out. Tatsuya didn't mind the overwhelming darkness as he vanished before us. I fired off a round, unsuccessfully hitting the wall behind him instead.

"Wait, Sudou!" I shouted after him. Something snarled at me and I barely had enough time to register the demon's movements. Its snarl escalated to a howl and the beast lunged for my throat. Dodging unskillfully, I tripped over my legs in an attempt to turn. I managed to catch myself using the corner of the desk, and twisted my body to aim my gun at the Hell Hound.

"Get back!" I ordered, and was satisfied when the two women jumped away just in time as I pulled the trigger into the demon's side. It violently shook its head around, baring bloodstained white fangs.

"Quick! Move out of the way!" Ulala pushed Maya off to the side as the beast charged toward them.

"It's over," my newly equipped Persona, Ryume, emerged from above, the glow of its body illuminating the room. The flash didn't last as long as the oncoming chill did when the jaws of the large serpent parted, the air freezing almost immediately. Icicles attached themselves to the body of the Hell Hound, freezing the monster in place. Even through its ear-piercing shrill, the monster was not able to stagger away from the ice storm.

It bought me enough time to push myself away from the desk and the beast, cursing the spacial restrictions of the room. Brushing off the shiver of the cold, I jumped up onto the Director's desk, and aimed my revolver at the demon. I pulled back on the trigger, eyes watching the icicles cling to the body of the beast, and the gun exploded with a thunderous roar. The bullet shattered through the ice, pierced into the side of the creature, and slivers of icicles cut into the Hell Hound's side. The damage it took from a single bullet was incredible and I realized that the added element had intensified the shock the demon had taken.

"That's it!" Maya gasped and we watched as it staggered, but was quick to resilience and quickly shook off the remaining icicles and daze. "The demon's body is vulnerable against water. We just need to beat it using another strategy."

"But it's too fast," Ulala protested, her attention drawn temporarily away from the battle. "How are we ever gonna—"

The boxer was caught off guard when the demon crashed into her from the side. Ulala was flung to the ground, and I shuddered at the crunch her body made when she landed. The demon hovered above her injured form and circled around her a few times, snarling. I stepped off of the desk, almost tempted to take on the unsuspecting creature myself.

"Ulala!" Maya cried, starting towards her.

I grabbed her wrist and shook my head, "No, Miss Amano; now's our chance! Let's try a Fusion Spell!"

"With what spell?" her frantic voice kept her from pronouncing her words clearly, and I watched the worry for her best friend making her impulsive and anxious.

"We'll make one." I looked over at Ulala, her form unmoving, "But we'd better hurry. Miss Serizawa is in danger."

I watched her face slowly uncoil her grief and she nodded, "All right." Once I was certain that she wasn't going to pull anymore ridiculous stunts, I released her, "I'll try aqua with Maia. You try one with Ryume."

I nodded. "Persona!" thrusting my arm into the air, I could feel a cool sphere of water gathering above me.

"Maia, go!" I watched as Maia did the same, a blue curtain veil Maya.

The aqua attacks combined quickly and created a colossal cyclone, spinning faster and faster until even Maya and I had to retreat backward into the room. By the time the Hell Hound had turned its attention back to us, it had been swallowed whole, spinning in continuous circles around and around, higher and higher, until the cyclone went no further and the beast was hurled into a wall, creating a great indent into it. The room shook violently, and I teetered. Reaction time allowed me to twist my body and grab the desk for support.

When the dust had cleared and the luminance of the Personas had faded, the demon growled softly, sliding down the wall and leaving a trail of blood behind. Its body crashed to the floor, falling limp, and I could see the whites of its eyes staring back at me.

How I wanted to shut them.

Maya was silent, holding her guns steadily. I looked to Ulala, who was just beginning to regain consciousness. Ensuring our victory, I slowly walked forward, gun aimed at the forehead of the beast. I wasn't sure.

_ Should I shoot it, just to make sure? Or is it already dead?_

But after several minutes passed, the action seemed unwarranted and I nodded back to the girls.

"It's dead," I pronounced.

"Woo hoo!" Maya jumped into the air, arched her back, and laughed. Hiding her guns, the ebony haired woman jogged over and put a hand on Ulala's shoulder as she bent down to find out the medical status of her friend.

"Way to go," I smiled at her as she began to blurt out a series of questions to the redhead. I knew she hadn't heard me.

"Are you okay, Ulala? Can you stand up?" Reaching into our bag of supplies, Maya withdrew a can. "Here," she offered, "drink this." Maya handed her friend the drink and continued to nurse her back to health.

I was about to add another comment when I remembered the man from downstairs.

"Wait, we still have to find Baofu and that one man," I pointed out.

"He's right," Ulala chugged down the last of the bottle and leaned on Maya as she struggled to her feet.

"But, can you walk?" Maya asked, supporting her friend's weight on her shoulder and reached around with her other arm to adjust them both.

"I'll be fine," Ulala assured, waving her off. "Let's just hurry and find out where Baofu is. I'll be sure to give him a piece of our mind for leaving us, too. We could've _died._ Some help _he_ is. I hate that guy." The boxer broke free from Maya's grasp.

She started to walk ahead of us, but her strength wasn't strong enough to withstand her quick movement and Maya caught her fall. Looking at the two women, I decided to move ahead myself.

Ulala finally regained her composure to walk and when we reached the front door downstairs she somehow found some magical source of strength and stormed out the door. She fiercely pointed to the man with long hair, who was smoking a cigarette.

_ Wow…she recovered awfully quickly. Baofu should run out on us more often._

"There he is!" she shouted. She stomped over to him, not even bothering to wait up for us. "Hey you! Why'd you disappear when we needed you! Because of you…" Ulala continued to ramble on as Baofu ignored her and glanced out toward the road ahead of us.

"You seem to have a reason…" I said after quite some time when I thought that Ulala had finished giving him a "piece of her mind." "Did you know him?" I asked, following his gaze.

He didn't reply.

I frowned.

_ Your absence in our fight bothers me, Baofu. I think you owe us an explanation. If you can't give us one, then what are you doing on the team?_

Fed up with his attitude, I decided that it was about time to find out where the police were.

_ Did they just ignore us after all this time? Or did that security guard lie and not call them at all?_

Either way, it didn't matter. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the number for the Police Station. Baofu's eyes wandered over to me and he sighed. I curiously turned my attention to him, phone still pressed against my ear.

"Knock it off," he shook his head. I pulled the phone away and looked at him oddly. "They'll find out with or without a report from us. Besides, how are you gonna explain _this?_"

"I am an officer of the law. I can't just let it go," I brought the still ringing phone back to my ear.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "You can't look the other way, huh? You're too soft."

I grew impatient with the constant ringing suddenly realizing that they weren't going to pick up. Probably too busy with something else.

_ Still…that's bizarre, even for my colleagues. What on earth are they doing?_

Putting away my phone, I said, "Let the firemen and police handle this, and let's head to the Sky Museum. We can't let Sudou stay on the loose."

That prompted another laugh from the long haired man, "Bitter? Maybe they blocked your number."

"Stay out of it," I narrowed my eyes.

Before Baofu could retort, Maya cut in between us to cease our fighting. "First," she said, crossing her arms, "let's stop by the Velvet Room. I found some new Tarot Cards. Maybe Igor can help us with them."

"Fine," I said, nodding. "Better to be safe than sorry. But let's not take more time than what's needed. Who knows what Sudou will do if we don't show up."

"For once, Suou's right," Baofu said, still grinning. "So we'd better hurry."

\/\/\/

ML


	7. Baofu Hates Time Wasters

**Disclaimer:** Manamana...

**A/N: **Short ass chapter. Sorry :-/ This chapter is a virtual waste of time, but some of the events were too funny to pass up. XD It's more of a filler, but I had to write it because during the game, everyone's like "GOTTA HURRY! GOTTA HURRY!" and then there are time-wasters like the party, who decide to play at Mu Continent while the world is getting blown up.

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Chapter Six**

**Baofu Hates Time Wasters**

**\/\/\/**

We dashed up the main road, careful to avoid security, jumped back into Baofu's car, and made way to the Velvet Room in Konan. Ironically, the Police Station was nearby.

_ I think I still see the cars…Why haven't they dispatched them yet? …What is Shimazu __**doing!**_

I hated to think that my superior was still in his office, doing something unproductive like spinning a yo-yo or entwining his fingers in a game of 'Cat's Cradle.' Just the very thought of it bothered me and caused my brows to furrow. I was almost allured by the stationary cars to storm inside and do battle with the Captain.

Baofu grabbed my attention and I stepped through the holographic door in the wall. Maya was already inside, bargaining with Igor. To my left was a sulking Ulala, who had tried hard to hide herself in the corner of the room.

_ That's another thing. What on earth has gotten into Miss Serizawa? She's been acting rather strange._

I had noticed her abnormal behavior back at Seven Sisters, but now it had escalated. She chose to seclude herself from the team, which was something that she would not normally do.

_ Why is this entire team full of secrets?_

I thought of Maya and the poem in Sudou's room, Ulala and Sudou's words, and the newest addition to the party who was just dripping with eccentricity. I didn't know _what_ to think anymore.

_You're silly, Katsuya, you have secrets too._

I stiffened. Yes, that was true, but…well…I was different.

…Right?

When Maya walked back towards the door, I stopped her and whispered, "Ever since we came back from the sanitarium, Miss Serizawa has been acting strangely…What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I've noticed the same thing, too. I hope she's okay."

"Have you asked her about it?"

"Yes, and all she says is that 'it's nothing.'"

"I think it's more than nothing."

"Yeah, but she won't tell us…" Suddenly, she changed the subject, as though she had completely forgotten what we were talking about at all, "Say, do you mind if we stop by my place? I need to grab something."

"Well…" I hesitated and glanced at my watch, "Is it important? We need to get over to the museum as quickly as possible."

"It's very important."

I was going to regret this. "...All right, as long as it doesn't take long."

"It won't," she promised.

\/\/\/

The Lunar Palace was just a short walk away. It was a huge apartment complex with a great view of Ebisu Beach and the ocean. I was amazed at such scenery and almost envious. _How serene…_ I wasn't sure what it was that Maya had wanted to do, and Ulala must've been thinking the same thing, for she looked at her strangely, and then pulled out her keys.

"Ma-ya, you forgot something at home?" Flipping through her large set of keys, she said, "Hold up, I'll get the door."

"I'm staying out here," Baofu muttered to absolutely no one, lighting a cigarette.

"Have it your way," Ulala responded, putting the key in the keyhole.

She jiggled the doorknob a few times and pushed the door back. There may as well have been fog coming to greet us because when we entered the apartment it was like the welcoming of a nightmare. My jaw nearly hit the ground. The apartment was a total mess and looked as though no one had cleaned it in months—no, years!

But wait, it couldn't be possible! Perhaps…this was a…robbery?

"T…This is…the work of a burglar!" I cried out. Maya turned towards me, confused. I assumed that she was in her own state of shock. Immediately wandering around the room, I whipped out a notepad, combined with a pen. "Is anything missing?" I asked over my shoulder, eying her large stereo covered in clothes and random assortments of papers. "You should check immediately. I'll begin a search!"

"Katsuya," Maya arched an eyebrow. "What are you getting so worked up for? This is how it normally is."

My eyes whirled around to meet her own.

"W-What?" My notepad fell to the floor, pen crashing along with it. "It was like this to begin with?" I couldn't believe it. Moving in a half circle from the stereo, to her bed, and finally to her balcony, I couldn't help myself but spin back around, face white, "…But…" This was a disaster! "…This is just so dreadful!" She's lying, right? "…Well…" Of course she was. "But…" However, her eyes remained the same. She wasn't laughing. She _was_ serious. "Was it…?"

"Yes," she nodded and began to search through a dresser drawer for something.

"But…uh…" I paused and looked around the room for the umpteenth time. "What I'm saying is…_our_ rooms are _much_ cleaner." I began to sweat nervously. I didn't want to offend her cleaning habits, but… "It might sound a bit prejudice, but a woman should be a bit more…like…" I knew I was making a fool of myself, but how would she react? A good slap was in order after this. "A bit more…"

"What?" she asked, turning her attention away from her drawer to face me. She didn't sound angry or offended. She actually sounded amused.

"…Cleaner…" I finished, and then waited for the eruption.

She stared at me…

...and then laughed.

"Katsuya," she smiled. "Just because my room isn't clean doesn't mean that I'm not clean about anything else…" Halting in her movements, she stood straight, and rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling, "Then again, I _am_ pretty disorganized about everything else, too, aren't I?"

_ I don't think she gets it._

I sighed and decided to leave it at that. This…this was horrendous. Even for Maya, I had pictured a much more well rounded house—one that fit her personality.

Oh well.

The ebony haired woman finally withdrew a small box, smiled, and stuffed it into her bag. I didn't even bother to ask what it was.

Ulala suddenly stumbled in from her room, limping, and said, "Ma-ya, do you think we could stop by that psychotherapy place across the street? That medicine you gave me earlier didn't heal me very well."

"Why? What would that place do for you?" I questioned.

"Rumor has it that they can heal you completely if they help you with your problems or something." Ulala looked at me and then back at Maya, "C'mon, please? It'll only take a moment and who knows how long I'll last in that museum in my condition."

I looked away.

_ That rumor thing again. I'd like to say that it's still just a myth, but…Maybe it __**is**__ worth it…Besides…problems are what Ulala seems to be having a lot of at the moment. Did she choose psychotherapy because she wants to clear her conscience? Is __**that**__ what this is about? She __**has**__ been acting rather strange..._

Despite our shortage on time, I thought it would be best to have a stable person watching our backs, rather than an impaired one.

"All right," Maya agreed, "I'll have Baofu pick up the items I was gonna grab at Satomi Tadashi."

\/\/\/

Baofu was fit to be tied.

He had spent the entire time ranting and raving at the two girls for wasting time. He and Ulala seemed to be having the most difficult time dealing with each other and Baofu suddenly turned his anger toward me, blaming me for the decisions of the two girls.

"Don't say anything to me," I told him, holding my hands up in defense. "You're the one who chose to stay outside. Don't expect to have a say in the situation."

"You know what your problem is, Suou?" Baofu frowned. "You don't have a backbone. You just can't say 'no,' and, evidently, that means to women, too."

I flushed and turned away. "Y-You don't know what you're talking about," I argued back.

"I know enough to realize when a dork like you is wrapped around the fingers of women."

_I __**really**__ hate this guy._

Rolling my eyes, I chose to say nothing else.

\/\/\/

The Hiiragi Psychotherapy was right across the street from the Sky Museum, which was a good sign. It kept them from deciding to delay more time if our destination was right in front of us. It was irritating to have to waste time like this, but I said nothing about it. I tried to convince myself more and more that Sudou was a dangerous criminal, and, with that, there was much that could be expected and unexpected.

Once we were inside, my mind was ambushed by a great many things.

_ "So…you're here, too, Ryume…?"_

_"Maria…It's been a long time…"_

"What's wrong, Sergeant?" Ulala seized my shoulder as I fell against the wall. Her face showed great worry, and I forced myself to regain composure. Straightening my glasses upon my nose, I breathed out and she asked me again, "Sergeant Suou, are you all right?"

I turned to look at the pale woman, blinking. At the sound of my name, Maya pivoted back to gaze at me, puzzled.

"What's the matter?" the dark haired woman asked.

"N…? Resonance…" Shaking my head, I responded, "There's a resonance of a Persona. Someone else here is a Persona user."

I started to scan the room. _Who could be the Persona user?_

"Phew," Ulala exhaled, relieved. "I thought it was something really bad." Looking over to Maya, she said, "I'm gonna go talk to the head counselor here. I'll be back, soon."

As the other woman moved away from us, Maya glanced back at me. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine," I replied. "Just a bit startled is all."

"I see," she smiled. "Well…I'll go and look around, if you want. More experienced Persona users, like Baofu, are crucial right now." Maya volunteered willingly.

_Baofu? Experienced? Only in being a self-absorbed jerk, I think._

That reminded me of the bitter attitude he had when Maya had handed him the list of groceries. He said a few words, cursed, threw his half smoked cigarette to the ground and sought for a new one before storming off.

_ How is __**he**__ useful? _

But before I could protest, she walked off to the other side of the room where a young woman with short brown hair greeted her. Bored, I decided to follow her.

The woman was young, I saw, and her face was soft and gentle. She reached out for Maya's hand, talking. I stood from behind, hands in my pockets.

"Hello…Welcome to Hiiragi Psychothera…" the woman stopped dead in her tracks when she touched Maya's hand, as though she had realized something incredibly dreadful. "…Huh?" she blinked twice, mouth agape. It seemed that she was struggling for words, and only managed with, "Um…You would be a Persona User…" Her mind was still in a train of thought, "And this resonance…Yuki…? …Umm…" Pulling her hand away, the girl rubbed the back of her neck, nervously, "Do you know Yuki Mayuzumi?"

"Uh…" Maya paused, unsure of who this woman was or how she knew her friend, "…Yeah…But…how did you—"

"I knew it!" the woman may as well have jumped for joy after she cut Maya off. "I felt Yuki's presence within your resonance!" She laughed, "…So I thought, perhaps…" At Maya's befuddled gaze, the girl shrunk back, embarrassed, "Ah, I'm sorry…speaking all by myself." Again, she extended her hand, but this time, introducing herself as a friend, "I'm Mary Sonomura, Yuki's best friend. And I'm a Persona user like you."

"Hey, that's great!" Maya grinned and pointed to herself, "I'm Maya Amano."

"Maya…Amano? Miss Amano, yep, got it! Yuki's friends are my friends, too. Nice to meet you!"

"The pleasure is all mine," Maya said, shaking Mary's hand before pulling back. "Yuki never said anything about you, so that's why I was confused. Are you a counselor here?"

"Well…" Mary began, "I'm here to study counseling, so I'm helping Reiko." I noticed that her smiled had dimmed. "Now it's my turn to help everyone. So I'll always be here." _To help everyone? Perhaps a…troubling past experience?_ "…If you're troubled over something, ask me. I'll help you."

"Studying counseling for the future…" I mumbled to myself, thinking about our generation and all the children within it. "It is wonderful to have such a determined mind to move forward at such a young age." Turning my head, I continued, "I wish _he_ could learn from her…Or even develop a small fraction of her determination…" Mary turned to look at me and Maya's eyes followed after. I flushed when I realized that I had spoke my thoughts aloud…again.

"Uh…Who are you?" Mary asked.

"He's my friend, too," Maya replied, lightly touching my arm. "Mary, this is Katsuya."

"Nice to meet you, Katsuya. Oh, and thanks for the compliment."

_Had I really been that loud when I said it? Or was she using her Persona?_

"Y-You're welcome," I said slowly, adjusting my glasses out of habit. _I hate it when I do that. People are going to begin to think I'm nuts._

When Maya and I walked away, she turned to look at me.

"You sure like speaking your thoughts aloud, don't you?"

For a second time that day, my face turned red, feeling even more humiliated at that remark.

"Who was 'that brat' Sudou spoke of?" I inquired, hoping she wouldn't notice the immediate subject change. "…From what I heard, this seems to be related to you, Miss Amano…"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "We'll find out when we get to the Sky Museum, though." She seemed confident. _I know she wants to find out just as much as I do._

Suddenly, Ulala came bouncing up to us.

"I feel great! I can take on anything and everything…Hey, where's Baofu?"

Our conversation had been spoiled, but I didn't say anything about it. Maya's attention went to Ulala, a single eyebrow quirked.

"Don't you remember? I told you I had him go next door to grab some medicine and tranquilizers. He was throwing a fit about it."

Well…it wasn't _quite_ a fit. Something that minute wouldn't be enough to stir Baofu, if I had any say in it. But that man dressed in white back at the sanitarium…_he_ looked important enough to get a rise out of the tap buster.

Ulala sheepishly turned away at the apparent thought of her own forgetfulness.

"Oh…yeah…"

"You guys won't believe this!"

We turned and looked at Baofu, who was running up the steps with bags of groceries in his hands.

"What's the matter?" I questioned.

_ Maybe I'm wrong after all. He looks very upset. Guess there's something new to see everyday._

"I overheard someone in the in the store telling a friend that that his son and his whole class went to the Sky Museum on a field trip."

That caught our attention quickly.

"What are we gonna do?" Ulala began to panic, but then calmed herself, "No, we're here to ensure that nothing happens. Ma-ya, we have to get there, now!"

She nodded and dashed out the door with Ulala behind her.

"What's with you girls and always running ahead?" Baofu shook his head and looked at me. "Women….can't live with them, can't live without them. Let's follow them, Suou."

I pointed to the bag of groceries in his hands.

"How do you plan run like that? It must've already been difficult to do in the first place."

He seemed to remember the bags and immediately moved outside and screamed at the girls, "Hey! Hey, you guys! One of you had better get back here and grab a bag!" After a moment, I heard him cuss and say something I didn't have the guts to repeat.

I was tired of all the shouting and growing more and more irritated. All I wanted was for this to be over. Following slowly after my comrades, I caught glimpse of the top of Sky Museum. I felt my heart constrict in my chest when I saw that the entire rooftop was engulfed in flames.

Shaking my head and moving my glasses up to rub my eyes, I looked back at the roof.

It was fine. No fire. No smoke.

Nothing.

_W-Was that...my imagination? Suou…you're losing it…_

\/\/\/

Sorry. I know it was crappy. Please don't flame me. Baofu hates time-wasters. :-P

ML


	8. The Sky Museum Must Die

**Disclaimer: **Sad that IS didn't do anything to help Persona 2's popularity. Sad Christmas...

**A/N: **Die, Sky Museum. Nobody likes you.

**\/\/\/**

**Wearing the Inside Out**

**Chapter Seven**

**The Sky Museum Must Die**

**\/\/\/**

As we stepped through the glass doors, my eyes immediately went to the children dashing in and out of rooms. I cursed under my breath.

"What are all these children doing here?" but I already knew the answer. However, it didn't stop me from wishing that none of it had come to this. It was nearing late into the day when all the children were going to be let out of school. Nonetheless, that didn't stop the situation now. "We have to get them out of here!" I turned to my comrades.

My eyes suddenly caught the attention of a young Kasugayama student with short black hair coming toward us. Maya and the others followed my gaze and I watched the raven haired woman. The boy stopped, hesitant, but overcame whatever it was that he was feeling and continued in our direction.

"Um…" His eyes hit the floor and then slowly traced back up to Maya, "I'm Jun Kashihara. Forgive me for asking such a question...but...have we met somewhere before?"  
"Hmmm…" Maybe Maya had been thinking the same thing. Maybe she was just trying to answer a question. I never found out. She brought a hand up to her chin, musing, and finally concentrated hard on him. She suggested, "In front of the station?"

Jun immediately stepped back, face pale and eyes wide, as though he hadn't expected that answer. He paused for a while longer before speaking.

"Eh…?" His face brightened, "Ah…That time! You bumped into a tall guy from Seven Sisters High School, right? I _knew_ I saw you somewhere!" His excitement wore down and he turned his attention to a pocket on his sky blue uniform, "…So that's where…" Reaching in, he withdrew a letter and pushed it slowly towards Maya, "Then, did you give me this letter…?"

The dark haired woman looked from him to Ulala and then back to the letter. "What?" she asked, dumbly.

"Someone gave me a letter asking me to come here and meet a 'friend,'" Jun explained. "I don't know who it can be, though…"

Before Maya could respond, Ulala stepped in and interrupted their conversation of mysteriousness.

"Hey, that stuff doesn't matter now," she reached out to push him towards the door. "Hurry up and bail!" When Jun wouldn't budge, she turned her anger to Maya, and pointed a sour finger in her direction. The reporter looked away, sheepishly, "What are _you_ doing even _listening_ to him? You're so vulnerable to younger men!" I flinched, but didn't know quite why. "We still don't know where the _Voice Man_ is! _He_ should be our priority."

Ulala was interrupted by a large vibration that hurled us from where we stood. I was sure the entire building was going to collapse. Forcing myself to stay balanced, I grabbed hold of the edge of one of the glass cases and looked to the opposite wall. After that moment, the massive quake became the least of my concerns. The room had been set aflame, fire feeding across the walls, carpets, and monuments of the museum.

_ I can't believe this…Not now… _

Static followed and then a voice came over the intercom. I knew _exactly_ who it belonged to.

" I set some bombs to start a fire," Tatsuya Sudou bragged. "First ones go off in the stairwell and the other floors are timed to follow." I looked back to see everyone panicking. Then I realized that the children were no longer on the bottom floor. "You remember? It's _just_ like the _'Other Side.'_ If you don't take the kids up top, they become barbecued!"

His voiced trailed off for a moment and I was certain that he had been disconnected. Then I heard him give the most demonic shrill of a laugh I had ever heard from any person. It started out slow and grew louder and louder until I, myself, was convinced that my ears would split.

Sudou's voice cut out and I ground my teeth against each other.

"Damn…" I looked back to my teammates and shouted, "Hurry up and get the kids upstairs!" Turning to Jun, I asked, "You're Jun, right?" At his nod, I continued, "Find the teacher in charge and head for the roof! Let's go check all the floors and make sure no one failed to escape!"

"Y-Yes," he agreed, following my comrades' nods.

He started off first, the others fell in step behind him, and we dashed toward the stairs. I willingly kept in the back to keep an eye on everyone. Despite the time lapse, the Joker was _still _after Maya, and I wasn't about to let anything happen on my watch.

_ As long as **she** is the next target, I will be able to take him into custody._

But slowly…I could feel myself becoming attached.

_Attached to what? The situation? Probably. I __**have**__ been pretty tense lately…_

There was something creeping up on me like the night to the sky, pulling the sun away into an existence far into outer space.

This was unlike me.

I didn't like poetry either.

"Let's check this room!" Maya suggested, tearing open the door.

I was swept back into reality as I searched the exhibit hall, flames abound. The heat was intensifying. Sweat gathered at the back of my neck and underneath my heavy clothes. Several times my vision became blurry as my glasses fogged, and I had to clean them thoroughly. The smoke was rising and the inside of my nose grew irritated and sore from having to breathe it in. No matter how low I stayed, it didn't seem to make a difference as far as my body was concerned.

The brightness of the inferno kept me from moving at all.

_ Keep moving, Suou! The lives of others are in danger!_

Besides…I knew that Sudou was still in the building _somewhere._ With the bottom floors collapsing beneath us, there was nowhere to go but up. And I _would_ be the one who took him in. Maybe Sudou didn't realize that he was tightening the noose around his own neck.

Staggering in behind Maya, I attempted to regain my composure, tracing the brilliant blaze up the walls before turning my eyes to the center of the empty exhibit room.

"Miss Amano," I pivoted back to her, almost pushing her out of the room, "it doesn't look like anyone is here. Let's go on to the next room!"

I was already out the door when I heard Baofu shout from across the hallway.

"There!" he pointed to a second exhibit room down along the wall. "Over there! I can hear the kids screaming!"  
Maya dashed ahead of Ulala and me as we desperately tried to keep up, all the while of avoiding leaping flames and thick clouds of smoke. Maya was defter than I, maneuvering around broken debris and flaming monuments. She kicked open the doors on the other side of the wall to avoid having to grab the knobs, and, sure enough, the children were all together crying in fear.

"Found them!" Ulala breathed, relief washing over her face.

"It'll be okay," Maya consoled them gently, though ushered them to come forward. "Run to the roof!"

They obeyed, still crying, but followed in a single line out of the room. Maya was still directing them with her hand. Once the last child was out of the room, I was the first to turn and search through the thick plume for the next exhibit hall. Baofu fell in behind me, keeping the two girls behind him.

Suddenly, Baofu sprinted down one end of the corridor, and left us alone. I could still hear the crackling of the fire feeding off the wood and artifacts of the Sky Museum, and my heart pulsed faster and faster until I could profoundly feel it rising up against the base of my neck. Baofu disappeared behind the veil of smoke, earning a frown from me. _What does he think he's __**doing!**__ This is __**no**__ time to be running off!_

"This is preposterous," I whispered harshly, motioning the girls to follow after. "We _have_ to stick together!"

He hadn't gone far by the time we'd caught up to him. I rounded the corner tightly in order to avoid the fiery wall on the opposite side. Baofu was staring off into space, as though something else had distracted him.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, successfully holding in my temper for _after_ we had managed to get out of this place.

"…Nothing," he said, his trance broken. "I thought…nothing, it was nothing."

"What?" I persisted. "Did you hear Sudou?"

"No," he said. "Look, I told you that it's nothing, Suou. Now, let's move on ahead." Baofu brushed past me and started on another jog down the hall. I looked at the two girls, gave a shrug, and followed after him.

He waited for us at the exhibit room down the hall. Eyes glued to mine, he said, "You go first, Suou. I'll be right behind you."

"Thanks," I replied, dully, but went ahead anyway.

I tapped the knob several times—it wasn't hot—and then opened the door cautiously to be sure that it was safe. I jumped inside, gun in hand. The first thing that hit me was the heat followed by blinding flames dancing along the walls. I peered over the railing to the first floor, a lump forming in my throat.

_We were just down there only minutes ago. If we had stayed any longer, the flames would've surely consumed us. It's hard to believe that the bottom floor is gone now._

Mesmerized by the loss of time, I hadn't even seen Baofu and Ulala come in until the other man tapped my shoulder and pushed me along.

"The second floor is gonna look just like the first if we don't bust ass, Suou. Keep moving."

Scolding myself, I gave him a silent nod and moved away from the rail.

_Now's not the time to get distracted._

"Sorry," I told him. "You're right." Forcing myself to focus, I looked around for the exit.

"Up the stairs," Ulala told me.

We hurried along, lifting our legs until we were past the hanging mobiles. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I gave another look to the surroundings. _I feel like I'm going to pass out. Don't the others feel it as well? The smoke is too much._

Coughing into my closed fist, I used my other hand to point across the room. "There," I shared my discovery. "The exit."

My comrades bolted ahead of me, but it only took me a few steps before I realized that Maya wasn't with us.

"Where's Miss Amano!" I asked in a panic.

Ulala stopped at the sound of my voice, turning in my direction.

"Where is she!" I called out again.

She must have recalled our absent member because her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. Whirling her body in a circle, Ulala instantly stopped and threw herself against the railing, staring down at the lower level in which we had just come from. I followed her gaze and spotted Maya, who was looking to one of the hanging mobile planes below us.

Flames were dancing along the underbelly of the plane. It wouldn't be long until that plane caught flames.

"Hey, Ma-ya, what are you doing!" Ulala successfully broke the trance Maya was in and the reporter looked over to us.

"Can't you hear a girl's voice?" Maya called out over the crackle of roaring flames. It took Ulala a moment to comprehend as she fought against the sound of burning wood and her friend.

"Huh! Did I hear a girl's voice, you ask!" Ulala became irritated, "I didn't hear _anything!_ Hurry up and get over here! It's not safe!"

She brushed past me to the open exit and disappeared through it. Baofu was gone, too.

_ So that's how it is, eh? Every man for himself? I can't do that._

Stepping back from the railing, I backtracked to the stairs and met Maya halfway. Her face was drenched with sweat and her hair had stuck to her skin. She was as tired as I was. Her cheeks were blackened from the ash.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

She appeared to still be in a daze, but answered me nonetheless.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm fine. Just more Déjà vu, I suppose."

"Are you sure?" I pressed. "I know that we don't have time to stop and rest, but if you're feeling ill…"

"I promise I'm fine."

I gazed at her skeptically.

"All right," I turned my head to the open door. "Let's catch up to the others before they leave us behind."

Giving another nod, she moved ahead of me and escaped out the door frame. I followed her up the spiraling stairwell to the third floor, looking back every so often to see more and more of our path becoming victim to the merciless fire. We would soon be joining its fate if we did not hurry.

Ulala and Baofu were waiting at the top of the stairs with Jun. His face showed intense worry as he looked from them to us. "The children seem to be split into groups. There are two groups that haven't come back. They must be hiding somewhere on this floor."

"Don't worry kid," Baofu assured, "We'll find them. Let's start at the elevator since it's the closest to our position."

We did, but found nothing.

It was like that for several more minutes. I could sense the fire catching up with us. We were wasting precious time and if we didn't find the kids soon...

_What? You'd leave them behind?_

No. _No!_ I...

Seconds...more seconds...Not in that room...Not around that corridor...

"The door to the back," Ulala pointed. "We've passed by that four times."

Not waiting for us to respond, she turned and blazed a path for us to follow.

"Here," she said, stopping in front of a door. "Let's check here."

I took it upon myself to step forward. Pressing my ear as close to the door as much as I could, I caught the sound of shrills and screams. I grabbed the doorknob and pulled it toward me. Indeed, there was a group of weeping children, too frantic to think about escaping. Trying to ease their anxiety, I called for their attention.

"Hello boys and girls," I greeted, trying my best to stay calm. "Listen up. Have no fear, your police hero is here! Cover your mouths and keep low. Run to the roof, and try not to breathe in any smoke. Understand?"

At first they appeared to be confused, but Maya helped lead them out of the room as Ulala brought up the rear. I watched to make sure every child was safely evacuated. From out of the corner of my eye, I saw Baofu arch his eyebrow and stare at me awkwardly.

"Police hero? And did you notice you were talking in _rhymes,_ Suou?"

I may as well have been flushing from embarrassment, but I also knew that there was no way Baofu could tell because of the heat and smoke.

I shrugged and replied, "Children don't respond to situations like these as well as adults, Baofu. _Someone_ has to look out for them."

"Yeah, but that was just…corny. And stupid."

I frowned. "It makes it harder for me to believe you were ever a child at all."

I heard him chuckle and he moved out the door to catch up with Ulala. Maya entered as he exited and I watched her look back at him.

"What was that about?" she asked when I approached her.

"He thought my speech was corny."

She laughed. I frowned again.

"Just ignore him," Maya patted my arm. "Are all of the children out of here?"

"Yes. Let's find the last group and head to the rooftop."

Ulala and Baofu were already down the hall by the time Maya and I had made our exit. Baofu made eye contact with us and motioned us over. I coughed a bit, cursing the merciless smoke.

"Here, here…" Ulala's voice perked my ears up. "Stop crying like babies and run!"

The children looked at each other and ran past us, screaming.

"Well…that was…inspiring…" Baofu said slowly, looking after the crying children.

"Yeah, well they were acting like little five-year-olds." Ulala argued back, "Sheesh, kids these days have no common sense."

"It's a state of reaction," I stepped in. "It's natural to behave like that in situations like these. Though it's not the wisest way to be, they're just children, Miss Serizawa."

Ulala stood there for a moment, glaring at me, and looked for comfort from Maya, who had none to offer.

"I hope Jun finds them before something bad happens," the other woman shrugged.

The redhead growled. "Let's just find the staircase, okay?"

I prayed that that woman would leave childbirth out of her forthcoming dreams. At least…until she understood the way children worked.

The staircase took us a good few minutes to find it because of the worsening smoke. I stumbled once into a wall, and Baofu repeatedly tripped over overturned chairs. Ulala didn't help the situation, leading us in circles, and Maya was just as confused as the rest of us. Every so often, Tatsuya Sudou would come on the air and whisper in a raspy voice, "Time is ticking, better move faster. The bombs go off in seventeen minutes," then "fifteen minutes," and, "ten minutes."

Baofu directed us around another corner, ushering us up the stairs with his arms. When we reached the top to the fourth floor, Sudou came on for the last time.

"_Hyaaaahahaha!_ Starting to recall the 'Other Side' yet?" He laughed and abruptly sobered up, "I know…that this sound, this color, and this heat is the way it's supposed to be! I don't care if the Grand Cross has passed! I'll kill, burn, and destroy everything! To hell with this fake world!"

His voice was more grave than I had ever remembered it being, as though he were truly convinced of what he was saying.

_ Or is it an attempt to **be** convincing? Then again, watching him talk about his father the way he did, it doesn't really surprise me that his emotions would be less controlled around something that he believes to be true. It's even in the same manner when he refers to his "Voices." _

"If you still don't understand what I'm saying," Sudou continued after a moment's pause, "I'll make you go through the _same_ thing again. From this floor, there will be demons—Just like the 'Other Side.' Remember?" There was a brief pause before I clasped my ears to his cursed, "_Hyaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!_"

Baofu's face grew distorted and he pointed to a shadowy corner, "He sure wasn't joking. Look over there!"

I felt myself gasp. Surrounding us in a half circle was a hoard of monsters, and there were far too many to even figure an estimate.

They hadn't noticed us yet.

"Well, what do we do?" I asked. "There's no way we can take them all on. We'll be crushed for sure."

"Ch…" Baofu didn't pull his eyes from the sight before us. "Suou's right. Not to mention, we'd get caught in the explosion long before we finished them off. We need another strategy."

"Or another route…" Ulala's eyes were elsewhere and she was grinning...A grin that terrified me. "Look! Over there!"

"What?" Baofu squinted.

"There's a hall that the fire's only begun to burn in. If we're quick enough and can jump high enough, I think we can get to the other side. I'll just bet there's a stairwell over there, too!"

"Yeah, sure, Ms. Hopelessly Optimistic," the tap buster snorted. "We'll be charbroiled." Baofu glanced back at the demons, mouth twitching. "But then again, staying here isn't a very wise decision either. I say we risk it." He looked at Maya and me, "You guys in?"

"Definitely," Maya nodded. "I don't want to be food for these guys."

"I suppose so," I answered, a little uneasy. "But standing here won't help find the children any faster, so let's hurry."  
Baofu volunteered to go first and dashed down the hall, dodging the burning flames.

"C'mon!" he shouted, picking up speed. "The flames are rising higher!"

Ulala took a deep breath and followed after Baofu, mimicking his every move.

"Let's go, Miss Amano," I said as I waited for her to move first. When she wouldn't budge, I became concerned. "What's the matter?"

"All of a sudden, I feel really uncomfortable." She whirled her head around to stare at me, "I don't have a phobia of fire, but I feel scared right now."

I shook my head.

"But you were fine before. What's the difference now?"

"I..." she began to fidget. "I don't know. It was like...after he mentioned the 'Other Side,' my chest began to hurt, and a feeling I've never known has overcome me. I'm too scared to move."

"That's exactly what he _wants,_ Ms. Amano," I told her and took a small step back. "He _wants_ us to be afraid. I'll be right here, so don't worry about it. I won't leave you behind."

A sincere smile crossed her face. "Thank you, Katsuya," she put a hand on my arm, which took me by surprise. Reaction took hold of me and I pulled away, although I hadn't meant for it to be so rudely.

My eyes looked away.

I knew she was hurt, and I didn't have the gull to face her. Instead, I muttered an incoherent apology, and encouraged her to make the first move while I followed closely behind.

Ulala and Baofu were at the end, hailing us as we lunged over a slowly elevating flame. I fought hard to keep my balance, landing on the balls of my feet and using my arms as propellers when I came to a less than graceful halt.

At last, the end had finally come.

"Good job, Suou," Baofu congratulated with undeniable sarcasm. "You looked like you were running away from your mother."

I didn't even have the strength to scowl at him. "Let's…find the…kids…now…" I replied instead, catching my breath.

"Hey, those demons are chasing us…" Maya observed.

I forced myself to look back down the hallway in which we had just come from. Indeed, several groups of demons had spotted our retreat and were quickly making their way toward us.

"No! No more running!" Ulala exclaimed.

"We don't have a choice," Baofu grabbed her arm and pulled her along down a nearby hall.

I cursed and followed after them, Maya next to me.

"Hurry, Miss Amano!" I called over my shoulder.

"Here! Hide in here!" Ulala swung open a pair of doors on her left and shut them as soon as we all were in.

Silence enveloped us, save our raspy breaths from running, and we listened hard for the sound of violent footsteps. I couldn't hear any, and, apparently, neither could my comrades.

"So how do we know if they're gone or not?" Ulala asked.

"Open the door and check," Maya suggested. Ulala wasn't fond of the idea, but turned back to the pair of doors. I watched her, mouth slightly agape to keep the air flowing into my lungs easier.

Sounds of sniffling fell upon my ears.

"Hey, it's the kids." Baofu whistled and then called out, "Hey, hey! Just sitting there crying like babies will get you killed. Hurry up and run to the roof. And don't lose sight of your friends."

"Baofu, the demons!" I reminded him in a sharp whisper.

"They're gone," Ulala breathed, swinging open the doors. She turned and motioned for the kids to come out with her hand. "It's safe now, children. But be careful on the way."

I helped her lead the children out of the room and pointed them in the direction of the stairwell. Baofu and Maya ventured down the hall to check for any demons, but none were to be found, as they told us minutes later.

"We found the stairs back that way," Baofu told us. "If we hurry, we might be able to get out of this place unscathed."

Maya and he led us to their discovery, which wasn't far from our current position, thank God. The smoke seemed to be thinning out as we began to climb, too. That could only mean…

"We're almost there!" A smile broke out on Ulala's face. "And about time!"

We savored our victory, Maya grabbing Ulala's hand and giving it a playful squeeze. Baofu chuckled and withdrew a cigarette.

Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks.

_My head is beginning to ache and my eyes are stinging._

My comrades stopped their chattering and looked back to me, puzzled.

"What's up?" Ulala asked.

I shook my head.

"Sudou and…someone else?" My eyes fell to the stairs "But, this feeling…No, it can't be…" I adjusted my glasses, trying hard to listen to the voices in my head.

_Tatsuya…_

…_Is this feeling…you?_

Without waiting up for the rest of my team, I darted past them and climbed the stairs. Throwing myself to the top, I cupped my hand around the knob and swung the rooftop door open.

"Suou! Wait for us, man! Geez, you want us to get killed or something!" I heard Baofu call out behind me.

I couldn't speak. What my eyes beheld…I couldn't stop shaking. I quickly continued out the door to see Tatsuya Sudou holding Jun hostage, a sword to his throat. In front of him was another boy wearing red garments with a distinct, black cross on the front. His brown hair was ruffled by the wind. He clutched the sword in front of him, protectively.

I recognized him without pause.

"Tatsuya!" Confusion kept me from saying anything more. The shaking continued, and the blender of thoughts evolved into a hurricane in my head. He merely looked at me from over his shoulder, and then turned his attention back toward Jun and Sudou.

The children and their instructor were backed up as much as they could against the wall. They were crying and screaming. The instructor appeared sick with fright.

Maya came up behind me, Ulala on her heels.

"Jun, are you okay!" the raven-haired woman shouted, oblivious to the boy who stood in front of Jun.

Ulala, however, noticed him right away.

"Wh…Who is this tall kid over here?" She looked at Maya, who had just caught Tatsuya's eyes. Her face thinned in colored by at least three shades.

"That's the…'Déjà vu Boy'…" she breathed silently.

"Huh!" Ulala pointed to my brother, "_This_ is the 'Déjà vu Boy!'"

"What!" I shouted, shaking my head. "What's going on…!"

But I didn't get any answers.

"Hyaha…At last, you're _here,_ Maya Amano!" Sudou threw his head back and laughed. He pulled on Jun's shoulder tighter and pointed his own sword at her. "Don't you remember this scene…?" He didn't give her time to reply when he hissed, "Hurry up! _Remember!_"

"Stop!" Tatsuya shouted at her, eyebrows skirting the tops of his eyes in an arch. "Don't try to remember anything!"

"_Idiots!_ You can't resist your _destiny!_" Suddenly, I found myself losing my balance. Sudou grinned as the rooftop began to crumble beneath us, "Five, four, three…"

The ground resisted me and violently tossed me from its back. I let out a shout as I toppled off balance and my body rolled toward the center. A giant mouth opened in the center of the roof, which quickly brought my attention back to the matters at hand. Thrusting my foot out, I slowed my descent into the black hole and used my hands to scrape along the roof. I was mentally screaming every prayer I could think of—thinking of the things I had done and hadn't done—things I had left unfinished—

I was no longer moving.

Somehow, I had managed to catch myself, miraculously, and I wasn't about to question how. I looked down and my face widened with horror.

Across the way, I could see Tatsuya's had, too.

"Jump!" he cried out.

My body found unexplainable strength as my reflexes automatically did as I had been commanded. Using my arms, I pushed my body backward like a propeller and landed on the far side of the roof that hadn't collapsed yet. I looked up briefly as my comrades mirrored my actions.

Tatsuya tripped over himself and plummeted into the hole that had formed on the rooftop. I quickly panicked, but could do nothing as I watched my brother tumble through. I wanted to scream—thought I had—but no sound would come. Instead, I flung myself to the ledge of the gaping hole.

Automatic relief embraced me. It was only by the grace of mercy that Tatsuya had been able to grab the ledge. He dangled by one hand, his other grasping his sword. Maya gave a heavy gasp and crawled over to the ledge to help pull him up.

"Tatsuya!" I leaned forward and held out my hand, even though I knew there was no way he could reach me.

We _were_ on opposite sides of the pit after all.

"Stupid…" he growled at Maya and struggled to pull out of her grasp, "Let go!"

"Shut up!" she shouted back at him, "Just hold on, dammit!"

Tatsuya Sudou seized the window of opportunity and walked forward, forcing Jun along with him. I stood up, Ulala and Baofu in suit, and pulled out my gun. Sudou gave Jun a quick glance before pushing him off to the side.

"Hyaaaa—haha! The same as the 'Other Side,' _right?_ Even if you _do_ remember now, it's too late! Die, bitch!"

He raised his sword above his head, prepared to cut Maya into two. Maya whirled her eyes up at him in terror, my brother's face not much different. Ulala and Baofu stumbled back in fear, and I attempted to aim my gun at him. But I couldn't shoot him. The shock…the fear…it was too much. I couldn't even hold the gun steady.

_No…Not now…Please not now. He's going to kill her…He's going to kill him…_

_ He's going to kill them both…and there's nothing I can do…_

"Noooo!" Jun shouted as he pushed himself to his feet and slammed his body into Sudou's.

Twisting uncomfortably, Tatsuya Sudou lost his balance, losing his sense of overwhelming victory, and fell deep into the dark abyss below him. Everyone gazed after him, jaw agape.

"_Uh-Oooooooooooooooooooh!_" Sudou's voice reverberated into the hollow abyss, his form eventually fading from sight. "_Wh…Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!_"

I edged nearer to stare down into the pit, not sure if what I had just witnessed was reality or a teasing dream. I prayed it was reality. Somehow, a giant weight had been lifted from me. The worst had come to pass, and no one was dead. At least, not anyone devastatingly important to me. If Sudou was dead, then it was for the best.

_ Except now…I'll never be able to get the answers I wanted from him…_

Jun fell to his knees, clutching his head hard. Ulala rushed over to him and Tatsuya pulled himself out of the hole, brushing past Maya. I watched him glare at her as he went.

Breathing heavily and finding the strength to move again, I knelt by her side and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she whispered, but her eyes were still on Tatsuya.

"Can you stand up?" I held out my hand to her.

She didn't say anything, nor did she take my hand. Instead, she pushed her hands against the surface of the rooftop, and pulled herself to her feet, dusting off her skirt. I slowly brought my hand back to my side and stood up myself.

Tatsuya put a hand on Jun's shoulder and lowered his face.

"Unh…unh…unh…" Jun grunted in pain, his hands still clutching his head.

"Don't worry," Tatsuya said softly. "It's not your fault…"

_Tatsuya. So this is you. __**This**__ is where you've been. To think, I've been worried sick about you. What is going on?_

With so many thoughts running rampant through my mind, I was hungry for answers, and I wanted them now. Quickly regaining my composure, I stormed over to my brother, ready to force him to face me.

"Tatsuya!" I shouted. "Where _were_ you! What is this all about!"

"Deal with it later!" Baofu looked down at the roof. The fire had finally broken through, much to my distress. "We've got bigger problems…"

_ Damn! I was so preoccupied with Sudou and my brother, I forgot all about the fire!_

"But how do we get out of here!" Ulala cried, flailing her arms.

Tatsuya turned his head to the blimp behind him and began to walk towards it.

"Follow me…" he ordered.

"Hey, you don't think a model will fly…do you?" Baofu's protest was cut short when he saw Tatsuya's face and immediately understood, though he didn't appear convinced by his finding, "…A rumor! You're making it fly by a _rumor_, huh!"

Tatsuya didn't bother to answer and boarded the blimp instead. Baofu shook his head, sighed, and followed after him, my other comrades close behind. I stayed back and dashed over to the frightened children and their instructor.

"Quickly!" I shouted to the teacher. "Get everyone onto the blimp! This place is going to explode in a few minutes!"

Though I knew she was without understanding, she said nothing in protest, and we both quickly escorted the children onto the blimp.

\/\/\/

Yay. Action.

ML


End file.
